‘Time to get some good…’ – Hardik Pandya makes hopeful statement after winning the toss vs RCB

The 20th game of Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday is set to be played in front of a packed house at the Wankhede Stadium. It was Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya who won the toss and chose to bowl first. There was a massive cheer going around in the stadium as it was announced that Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were back in the team. 

Mumbai Indians lost their last game to Lucknow Super Giants by 12 runs. This was the third loss of the season with just one win to show for. Rohit had missed the last game due to injury and was included in the team as one of the impact players and will be expected to bat later in the day. So far the former MI skipper has scored just 21 runs from the three games he has batted during the IPL 2025 season. 

Jasprit Bumrah makes his return to cricket after being out of the game since the start of January owing to an injury to his back. The 31-yerar-old was confirmed to be part of the game by coach Mahela Jayawardene on Sunday. Mumbai Indians had put out a video welcoming back their premier pacer with a special video on their social media handles. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) went in to the game with the same side that had played the last match versus Gujarat Titans. The likes of Krunal Pandya and Tim David make their return to the Wankhede Stadium after playing a few season for the Men in Blue and Gold. It will be also be interesting to see the two Pandya brothers go head to head to take home the bragging rights. 

Hardik Pandya looks to turn the season around

During his chat with former Indian coach Ravi Shastri at the toss, Mumbai Indians’ skipper Hardik Pandya said, “We are gonna bowl first. This looks like a good track, dew might come in later. When the wicket is cool, it stays good. When dew comes, it gets better. It always plays well for both teams. It's time for us to get some rhythm, get some good cricket behind us, take the smarter options and do the right things.”

The 31-year-old also added, “We are playing good cricket, but it's just that at certain moments, we are missing out on certain things. If we can look after those, we'll be able to get the rhythm. Mumbai has been always supporting us. We have made sure that this is our fortress and we defend it. Playing at home makes it different. The crowd is behind you and you are aware of the conditions.”