Mumbai: Back to winning ways, defending champions Mumbai Indians would look to exploit the home advantage once again to carry forward their new-found momentum but it won't easy as they face a formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League match here today.
MI witnessed a terrible outing in the UAE leg of the tournament as they returned winless. But back in the familiar territory, the Rohit Sharma-led side snapped their dismal five-match losing streak with a five-wicket win over table toppers Kings XI Punjab on Saturday.
The stadium was a mini fortress for MI which could not be breached in eight attempts last year and the title holders certainly enjoyed the home advantage against the Punjab franchise when they secured their first win after five losses, in the process snapping KXIP's five-match winning streak.
It has been Mumbai's batting, more than their bowling, which had caused their slump in the tournament, but they would be encouraged by the collective batting performance in the last game.
MI is still trying to figure a solid pair at the top to give them a good start. They have tried a few combinations with skipper Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Michael Hussey, Ben Dunk and C M Gautam, but none has yielded the desired result.
The middle-order that boasts of New Zealand's Corey Anderson and explosive West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard has looked strong in the last few games.
