In addition to being the most prominent figure in Indian and international cricket for more than a decade, at least one of them has captained his side in one of the most well-known IPL rivalries over the previous twelve IPL seasons (IPL). However, they will not be participating in the toss for the first time since the 2011 Indian Premier League.
The Mumbai Indians play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, and because of their prominence, all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both will undoubtedly be the highlights of the show, but there will undoubtedly be many other details that both camps closely monitor.
Such has been their stature and aura that transcends oppositions, teams and regions when it comes to the way Kohli and Rohit are respected and idolised by cricketers and worshipped by fans. The duo’s presence will perhaps offer a relief for Hardik Pandya, the MI captain who has been facing flak from the fans.
Coming into Thursday, both Rohit and Kohli will know they need to turn their reputation into a game-winning hit. After all, their teams’ IPL performance thus far has been mediocre.
It will also be interesting to see if Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, two Australians who haven’t played well in the IPL thus far, can improve at their previous home ground.
In a similar vein, MI will be depending on Suryakumar Yadav to enter the run-scoring zone in order to build on the fast starts that Rohit and Ishan Kishan have already provided.
The bowlers might have a terrifying experience midweek, similar to Sunday, when 439 runs were scored. Unless, naturally, the bowlers can contain Rohit and Kohli!
