IPL Betting: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians

Find Me A 100 Winner / Ed Hawkins / 02 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

Can Bangalore continue their resurgence on one of the world's best batting surfaces?

Team news

With Kevin Pietersen returned to England and the experiment of Robin Uthappa at keeper consigned to history, Bangalore seem a happier and more balanced outfit. Witness their fine win over King's Xi. Jacques Kallis and the reinstated Mark Boucher, who always had an uncomfortable relationship with KP, should shine under the leadership of Anil Kumble. Rahul Dravid remains on paternity leave and no-one seems to know when he will be back. "Soon," said Kumble. For Mumbai, Graham Napier should hold onto his place despite a disappointing effort with the bat on debut against Kolkata.

Venue, pitch conditions

The Wanderers is one of the best batting surfaces in the world and the 320 match runs line could well be busted. West Indies and South Africa shared more than 410 runs in the World Twenty20 opener there. The average first-innings score in the last 12 (Standard Bank and World Twenty20) matches is a whopping 171. The forecast showers dampen the enthusiasm, however, for a chunky match-runs wager.

Match odds

Bangalore and Mumbai have a win apiece on the head-to-heads. The first victory went to Bangalore by five wickets before Mumbai enjoyed revenge in thumping fashion, strolling to a nine-wicket victory. Understandably given the respective records in IPL2 - Bangalore have won three from seven and Mumbai three from six - it is Sachin Tendulkar's side who are favourites at [1.66]. With the Little Master leading such a powerful batting line-up it is hard to see how Mumbai will be denied in a contest which will be decided by who hits it longest, hardest and most often.

Top batsmen

On such a flat wicket, it is the strokemakers who should come to the fore. Forget the nudges and nurdlers. Men with solid top-bat credentials are Jesse Ryder for Bangalore and Sanatha Jayasuriya for Mumbai. Ryder's bully-boy style is perfect for such a surface, Jayasuriya made 61 and 88 against New Zealand and Kenya respectively at Jo'burg in the World Twenty20. Of the two, Jayasuriya is the bet because Ryder's confidence may have slumped after a poor run. The Sri Lankan top-scored against Bangalore in IPL2.

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In that first match of the World Twenty20 between West Indies and South Africa, there were 18 sixes. Chris Gayle hit 11 of them.