Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7 : When five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, two of India's biggest batting icons, Rohit Sharma, the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winning skipper and Virat Kohli, will be locking horns against each other.
Rohit and Virat are India's two most prolific batters of the post-Sachin Tendulkar era. In 550 international matches, Virat has scored 27,599 runs at an average of 52.27, with 82 centuries and 143 fifties and the best score of 254*. On the other hand, in 499 international matches, Rohit has scored 19,700 runs at an average of 42.18, with 49 centuries and 108 fifties and the best score of 108. Together, they have won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and 2025 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 for India, playing a crucial role in India's title wins.
While they have been two of India's biggest match-winners of this era, things get a lot more different in the IPL, where RCB is yet to win a trophy and on the other hand, MI has won five under the 'Hitman'. MI have an upper hand over RCB by 19-14, but the two teams are evenly matched in recent years, with a 2-2 record since 2022. At the Wankhede, MI has a very one-sided record of 8-3, with RCB's last win at the venue dating back to IPL 2015. Since then, they have lost six consecutive matches at Wankhede.
Against MI, Virat has made 855 runs at an average of 30.53 and a strike rate of over 126, with five fifties. His best score is 92*. At Wankhede against MI, Virat has made 301 runs in 10 matches at an average of 43.00 and a strike rate of over 137, with two half-centuries and the best score of 92*.
On the other hand, Rohit has made 831 runs against RCB at an average of 27.70 and a strike rate of over 136, with seven fifties to his name and the best score of 94. While playing for MI against RCB at Wankhede, Rohit scored 307 runs in nine matches and nine innings at an average of 43.86 and a strike rate of over 154, with three half-centuries and the best score of 94.
Which one of these batting heavyweights will prevail this time?
Squads:
Mumbai Indians Squad: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton(w), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Mitchell Santner, Raj Bawa, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur, Jasprit Bumrah, Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Satyanarayana Raju, Karn Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar, Bevon Jacobs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Romario Shepherd, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara.