Picking a combined MI-RCB playing XI for IPL 2024 ft. Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli

Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match 25 of IPL 2024 at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Thursday, April 11. The match is being billed as a contest between former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Both MI and RCB have been disappointing in IPL 2024 so far. Mumbai Indians are languishing in eighth place in the points table, with one win from four games, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru are ninth, with one victory in five matches.

In their previous match, MI opened their account in IPL 2024 with a 29-run win over Delhi Capitals. Batting first at the Wankhede, Mumbai put up 234-5 before restricting DC to 205-8.

There was no such luck for RCB, though, as they succumbed to defeat against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. Batting first, Royal Challengers put up 183-3, but RR cruised to victory, thanks to an unbeaten hundred from Jos Buttler.

Mumbai have an 18-14 lead over RCB. As the teams clash on Thursday, we pick a combined Mumbai-Bengaluru XI for IPL 2024.

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Openers: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli

Rohit and Kohli would form a dynamic opening pair in the combined MI-RCB XI for IPL 2024. One really doesn't need to write much about their stellar achievements in the T20 league.

In IPL 2024, Rohit scored 43 off 29 against Gujarat Titans and 49 off 27 in the win over Delhi Capitals. Meanwhile, Kohli is the leading run-scorer this season with 316 runs in five innings at an average of 105.33 and a strike rate of 146.30. Kohli scored 113* off 72 against Rajasthan Royals.

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Middle-order/ All-rounders: Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Dinesh Karthik (wk)

Romario Shepherd played a stunning cameo against DC. (Pic: BCCI/ iplt20.com)

Senior MI batter Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck in his first IPL 2024 game, against DC. However, given his tremendous record in the tournament, he finds a place in the combined XI. Suryakumar has 3,249 runs in 140 matches at an average of 31.85 and a strike rate of 143.19, with one hundred and 21 fifties.

RCB all-rounder Cameron Green is yet to set the tournament on fire, but he finds a place because of the balance he brings to the combined XI. Green has played a couple of cameos and picked up two wickets. It goes without saying, though, that he needs to do a lot more.

Tim David, Romario Shepherd and Dinesh Karthik would be the finishers in the combined MI-RCB IPL 2024 XI. David smashed 42* off 22, albeit in a losing cause against SunRisers Hyderabad, and 45* off 21 in the triumph over DC.

Shepherd played a sensational cameo for MI against DC, clobbering 39* off 10 with the aid of three fours and four sixes. Meanwhile, Karthik contributed 38* off 26 against CSK, 28* off 10 against PBKS and 20 off eight versus KKR.

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Bowlers: Mohammad Nabi, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj in action against Rajasthan Royals (Pic: BCCI/ iplt20.com)

Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi would be the spin all-rounder in the combined XI. He has played only one match so far, against Delhi Capitals, but finds a place, as most other spinners from both the MI and RCB camps have struggled.

Jasprit Bumrah would be the lead pacer in the combined XI and would also captain the side. The MI pacer has been brilliant in IPL 2024. The right-arm pacer has claimed five wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 6.12 and an average of 19.60.

The Bengaluru duo of Yash Dayal and Mohammed Siraj would be Bumrah's pace partners in the combined XI. Left-arm pacer Dayal has done a decent job, picking up five wickets in as many matches.

As for Siraj, he has four wickets in five games and has been a bit expensive at times, but he's expected to come good soon.