IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Will Be Crucial for Royal Challengers Bangalore to Win RCB vs MI Match No. 5

IPL 2023: In two days, the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League will get underway. The first match will see Gujarat Titans play against Chennai Super Kings on March 31. It will be followed by two doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. Royal Challengers Bangalore will start their campaign in the evening game on Sunday. They will face the five-time champion Mumbai Indians at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Both teams will have contrasting performances in 2022. MI finished last with only four wins out of 14 games, while RCB ended the season at the third spot after losing the second qualifier to the Rajasthan Royals. Notably, RCB is the only team to qualify for the playoffs in the last three consecutive seasons. Thus, they would like to maintain their performance, which can be done with a winning start. Here we will talk about three match-winners for RCB in their first game against MI.

IPL 2023: 3 Key Players for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the RCB vs MI Match No. 5

3. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell holds the key for RCB in the middle order. He is the backbone of the RCB middle order and has done a decent job with them. If RCB loses early wickets then all the responsibility will come on the shoulder of Maxwell. Thus, he is a valuable asset for the franchise.

But if he gets going, he can chase or set any target with the hitting ability he has. Maxwell is a proven customer who has won a number of games for RCB. In 2022, he scored 301 runs in 13 games at an average of 27.63 and a strike rate of 169.10, with a best of 55. MI will love to see the back of Maxwell as early as possible on Sunday.

2. Faf du Plessis

A captain is always the best player in the team. That’s why the franchise picked Faf du Plessis as the captain in 2022. And he didn’t disappoint them either. Du Plessis was the highest run-scorer for the team and led them brilliantly. He scored 468 runs in 16 innings at an average of 31.20 and a strike rate of 127.52, with a best of 96.

The RCB skipper also scored three half-centuries. His team would like him to continue the performance he had last season. He is good against both spin and pace and knows how to score big runs in the power play. MI can come under pressure right away if Du Plessis starts well in the first six overs.

1. Virat Kohli

Not so long ago, many were writing off Virat Kohli because of the bad patch he was going through. But since the 2022 Asia Cup, things have changed drastically, and his graph has moved upward. Virat Kohli is the highest run scorer in international cricket since the 2022 Asia Cup across all three formats.

He recently scored his much-awaited Test century in the fourth test of the BGT series against Australia. His T20I numbers are extraordinary over the last 7-8 months. Virat ended the 2022 T20 World Cup as the highest run-getter. His batting form will certainly be a confidence booster for RCB and a threat for every other team in the competition. There is no doubt that Virat’s wicket will be crucial for MI before he takes the game away.