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IPL 2019: Captain vs deputy as Mumbai Indians seek to return to winning ways

Since then, though, MI have gone on an upward ride, winning three more matches to be currently sitting in the top half of the points table.

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Virat Kohli
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The second half of 2019 IPL beginning today pits India's limited-overs captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma against each other at the Wankhede here on Monday.

Match No. 31 out of the total of 60 IPL matches will give Kohli and his team a chance to avenge their previous loss to in Bengaluru in the first leg that ended in controversial fashion.

It was that match that Mumbai Indians won by six runs when umpire S Ravi failed to notice a certain no ball by Lasith Malinga off the last ball of the match.

Since then, though, MI have gone on an upward ride, winning three more matches to be currently sitting in the top half of the points table.

On the other hand, RCB have only been losing one game after another until tasting their first success this season against Kings XI Punjab just before coming here.

Individually, Sharma has still not struck the form that he is known for in limited-overs, and especially in IPL that has fetched him 4,658 runs in 179 matches to be third in the list behind Kohli and Suresh Raina.

Having decided to open the entire IPL, keeping in mind his role as an opener in the World Cup that follows immediately, Sharma has still not scored a fifty this IPL, his 48 against RCB in the first leg being his highest.

On the other hand, Kohli has been batting like he is known to, stringing together partnerships with his most trusted team-mate and best pal AB de Villiers. The latest one of 85 between the Kohli and de Villiers, on Saturday in Mohali, not only made them the most successful batting pair in terms of partnerships in IPL history – sharing in excess of 2,787 runs – but also gave RCB the long-awaited first win of the season.

While RCB have to win each of their remaining seven matches, and hope for a few of the other matches' results going their way to remain in contention for the play-offs, it looks a distant possibility.

For, MI have a better record against RCB at their fortress, winning five of nine matches, and more importantly, winning the last three here.

That said, RCB have lifted their performance at the Wankhede, which is known to be good for chasing totals and where Kohli and de Villiers have played some of the most memorable knocks, be it for their franchise or for their respective countries.

MI will be keen to win more matches at home than lose, wanting to set straight the record of not defending a competitive total against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday.

The match will be played soon after Kohli sits with the national selectors to finalise the World Cup squad of 15. The match up between Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, or Sharma and Yuzvendra Chahal will add spice to the contest that also has other entertainers like the rejuvenated Kieron Pollard, who keeps proving people wrong with a superlative show whenever his position in the MI set up was questioned.

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