It's time for one of the biggest clashes of IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will be up against each other in the 18th match of IPL 2022 on 9th April from 7:30 PM onwards at the MCA Stadium, Pune.

Royal Challengers Bangalore are currently at the 6th position on the points table with two wins in three games. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians still haven't opened their account as they are coming from straight three defeats.

Make your dream11 team prediction and IPL 2022 Fantasy League prediction with our fantasy cricket tips and suggestions. Get early updates, game previews, news, suggestion, and prediction for your fantasy team in our exclusive section Fantasy Sports.

RCB vs MI: 18th Match Preview

Match Details:-

Match: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians – Match 18
Venue: Maharastra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune.
Date & Time: 9th April 2022 at 7:30 PM (IST)
Where to Watch Live: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar, and JIO TV.

Read Also: CSK Vs SRH IPL 2022 Match 17: Full Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report, And Dream11 Team Prediction

Pitch Report: RCB vs MI: Match 18

Pitch Report: The pitch of Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium allows the batters to amass good runs in the initial overs. As the match progresses, the spinners find the surface helpful. Quick bowlers can flourish throughout if they deliver in the right areas.

Head to Head Stats:

Matches Played: 29
Won by MI: 17
Won by RCB: 12

Injury News:

There is no injury news till now from both teams.

Also Read: Most wins in IPL history by a player

Team News: RCB vs MI

Royal Challengers Bangalore :

Newly appointed RCB skipper Faf Du Plessis has started his captaincy journey with correct accuracy. Faf-led RCB has secured two wins in the first three games they have played so far. Virat Kohli isn't looking in good touch however, Faf and DK are doing the job for the team. Shahbaz is performing for RCB in every game with the bat and contributing to team victory.

However, Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga lead up the bowling department with their magic. Glenn Maxwell will be available for selection on this game as he completed his quarantine. It will be a tough challenge for the blue Paltan to defeat an in-form RCB XI.

Read Also: Shahbaz Ahmed: The next all-rounder in making for India?

Mumbai Indians:

The most successful franchise in the world of T20 cricket is nonother than the Mumbai Indians franchise. But, they are struggling to get their first victory of this season. In the last three games, they have faced defeats against DC, RR, and KKR respectively. Ishan Kishan and Surya are showing they're fine form but Rohit and Bumrah are not at their best.

Meanwhile, the good news for the camp is that youngsters Tilak Verma and Dewald Brevis both are showing their talents in the field by scoring crucial runs in important situations. Tilak Verma hammered a half-century in the last game while Brevis recorded some classy hits over the fence. It's a must-win game for the Blue Paltan as they have already suffered three defeats in the tournament.

RCB vs MI: Match 18: Possible Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore :

Faf du Plessis (C)
Anuj Rawat
Virat Kohli
Sherfane Rutherford
Shahbaz Ahmed
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Wanindu Hasaranga
David Willey
Harshal Patel
Akash Deep
Mohammed Siraj

Mumbai Indians :

Rohit Sharma (C)
Ishan Kishan (wk)
Dewald Brevis
Suryakumar Yadav
Tilak Verma
Kieron Pollard
Daniel Sams
Murugan Ashwin
Jasprit Bumrah
Basil Thampi
Tymal Mills

Also Read: IPL 2022 stats: Most expensive over in IPL 

IPL Fantasy Cricket Dream11 Team Prediction: RCB vs MI: Match 18:

Wicket-keeper: Ishan Kishan
Batters: Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma
All-rounders: David Willey, Wanindu Hasaranga
Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Murugan Ashwin

Captain: Suryakumar Yadav
Vice-Captain: Wanindu Hasaranga

Other C/VC options: Faf Du Plessis, Ishan Kishan, and Harshal Patel

You must change your team if any of these players aren't announced in the starting lineup.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

RCB fans in Bengaluru to wear white for Virat Kohli Test tribute? Yes! Fans are planning a special "wear white" initiative and asking the crowd to show up in whites for the upcoming RCB vs KKR match at Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 17, 2025.

As the IPL is set to resume tomorrow, and we will witness Virat Kohli play his first match after his announcement of test retirement, fans are organising a heartfelt tribute for the King!

The viral spread of white wave

A fan-driven moment is going viral recently where they call the crowd to wear white for a collective tribute to Virat Kohli after his test retirement.

Whether you have a test jersey or not, all they ask for is wearing anything white instead of the jerseys of IPL franchises.

Discussions on Reddit

The white tribute takes shape on reddit as fans try to reach out as much as possible.

Fans pledge to wear white in Instagram comments

Fans leave heartfelt messages on comments section of official Royal Challengers Bengaluru Instagram page.

Hashtags like #WearWhiteForVirat, #KohliTestTribute, and #KohliTestFarewell are the ones people are using to make this a trend before the upcoming IPL 2025 match.

Content Creators spreading the word

Many content creators have joined hands to support this initiative and they are getting huge responses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cricket Machas (@cricketmachas)

Harsha Bhogle reacts on Twitter 

Hey @RCBTweets fans, are you planning to turn up in white for the game on the 17th? Remember seeing a post suggesting that. It will be incredible and a sight for the ages if true and if you can pull it off.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2025

The comments section in response to the initiative is getting flooded with comments like "Count me in," and "Wearing white with pride!" 

Many are tagging their acquaintance with messages like "@[friends username] Let's do it!"

Will you show up on May 17 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in whites too?

As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.

The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.

Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.

IPL 2025 Points Table

Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.

Read Also: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Overseas players return status for the remainder of IPL 2025

The 18th season of Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume on May 17 after a week-long break with the remaining seven teams in contention for playoffs. According to the revised IPL 2025 schedule, the remaining 13 league matches will be played across six venues. The league stage commences on May 27.

The revised IPL 2025 schedule meant a few teams will be deprived of home advantage. While Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 points each) are most likely to enter the final four, things could get tight for the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings.

Also Read: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Ahead of the IPL 2025 resumption, let's take a look at the qualification scenarios of all the seven teams in contention for playoffs. Notably, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad are officially out from the race to playoffs.

Only five teams can reach to the 18-point mark after the league stage. That means, 18 points could possibly be the cut-off for the teams in the race for playoffs.

IPL 2025 Points Table before resumption

Rank	Teams	Matches	Win	Loss	NR	Points	NRR
1	Gujarat Titans	11	8	3	0	16	+0.793
2	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	11	8	3	0	16	+0.482
3	Punjab Kings	11	7	3	1	15	+0.376
4	Mumbai Indians	12	7	5	0	14	+1.156
5	Delhi Capitals	11	6	4	1	13	+0.362
6	Kolkata Knight Riders	12	5	6	1	11	+0.193
7	Lucknow Super Giants	11	5	6	0	10	-0.469
8	Sunrisers Hyderabad (E)	11	3	7	1	7	-1.192
9	Rajasthan Royals (E)	12	3	9	0	6	-0.718
10	Chennai Super Kings (E)	12	3	9	0	6	-0.992

Gujarat Titans (16 points)

With eight wins from 11 games, the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans need just a win shy of confirming their place in the last four stage. They still have three games left in the league stage.

Remaining Games: vs DC (May 18), vs LSG (May 22), vs CSK (May 25)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 points)

Just like Gujarat Titans, RCB are also just a win away from securing their spot in the last four stage. RCB also have three games left, including two at home, starting with a clash against KKR.

Remaining Games: vs KKR (May 17), vs SRH (May 23), vs LSG (May 27)

Punjab Kings (15 points)

Punjab Kings breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced their called-off game against Delhi Capitals will be replayed. With three games left, Punjab Kings could possibly reach 21 points, thus securing their first playoff spot over a decade.

Remaining Games: vs RR (May 18), vs DC (May 24), vs MI (May 26)

Mumbai Indians (14 points)

After losing a few matches initially, Mumbai Indians won six matches on the bounce to enter the top four. The Hardik Pandya-led side need to win their final two games to enter the playoffs without needing a help from others. In case, Mumbai Indians lose one, they will be locked at 16 points and would hope Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals falter.

Remaining Games: vs DC (May 21), vs PBKS (May 26)

Delhi Capitals (13 points)

Despite making a roaring start with five wins in their first six matches, Delhi Capitals lost the plot to find themselves out of the top four in the points table. With 13 points in the pocket and three games left to play, Delhi Capitals need to win all their remaining matches to ensure smooth entry into knockouts.

Remaining Games: vs GT (May 18), vs MI (May 21), vs PBKS (May 24)

Also Read: IPL 2025 to resume from 17th May: Here is the revised schedule

Kolkata Knight Riders (11 points)

Things look dicey for defending champions KKR who have won five and lost six so far. Rain played spoilsport in one of their games. With two games left, KKR could go to 15 points even if they win their remaining games. KKR would also hope for other teams to falter in order to get a crack into the last four stage. For KKR to go through, Punjab Kings need to lose all their games.

Remaining Games: vs RCB (May 17), vs SRH (May 25)

Lucknow Super Giants (10 points)

With a new captain in Rishabh Pant, LSG need to win their remaining three games to get to a maximum of 16 points. Like KKR, LSG too need to look at other teams for a change of fortune. Even if LSG win their last three games, they would Mumbai Indian and Delhi Capital to not win more than one game.

Remaining Games: vs SRH (May 19), vs GT (May 22), vs RCB (May 27)

As the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 is getting closer to the grand final, it is now time to look back at the bowlers with standout performances. They have constantly troubled batsmen which led to their team's success.

Who do you think are the ones with most wickets? Take a look at the highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25.

Jasprit Bumrah | India

Jasprit Bumrah had a remarkable campaign in WTC 2023-25 cycle and has taken the most number of wickets. He took 77 wickets in 15 matches, with an average of 15.09. 

Bumrah recorded five 5-wicket hauls in the cycle and also had his best bowling figure of 6/45 in an innings against England.

Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first-ever player to pick 200 Test wickets with an average below 20

Jasprit Bumrah stats in WTC 2023-2025

Pat Cummins | Australia 

The Australian skipper, Pat Cummins, has done wonders with the ball, by taking 73 wickets in 17 matches. He is the leading wicket taker for Australia and can also be on top by showcasing his wicket-taking skills in the WTC final against South Africa. 

His best bowling performance in the tournament was a 6-wicket haul for 91 runs.

Pat Cummins stats in WTC 2023-2025

Read Also: WTC Final: Australia and South Africa announce their squads

Mitchell Starc | Australia 

Yet another Australian legend to feature in this list, who is just behind Cummins by one wicket. This fiery left-arm pacer have always been a key bowling of their team. He took 72 wickets in 18 matches total.

Mitchell Starc's best bowling figure in WTC 2023-25 includes a 6-wicket haul for 48 runs.

Mitchell Starc stats in WTC 2023-2025

Other players with 60+ wickets in WTC 2023-25

Seems like the Aussies and Indians have purely dominated the bowling sides and got most wickets up their sleeves.

Read Also: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

Here are the other players who crossed the 60 wickets mark and deserves a shoutout in the list of highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25.