Royal Challengers Bangalore will have their work cut out as they take on defending champions Mumbai Indians without swashbuckling opener Chris Gayle in their ranks, with the Jamaican flying back home to be with his newborn son.
Bangalore batsman Sarfaraz Khan confirmed the news ahead of their match at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Gayle has become a father, so he has gone home to visit his family and son,” Sarfaraz said on Tuesday.
Gayle’s absence means Mumbai will breathe easier as they look to get their IPL campaign back on track.
After losing their last two matches – against Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad – Mumbai once again are off a poor start in the tournament, something that has become a habit for them. They will be desperate for a change in fortunes after losing out on the services of T20 stalwarts Lasith Malinga and Lendl Simmons.
For Bangalore, the task will be even tougher as their weak bowling attack will feel more pressure. They have relied on batsmen scoring big runs to make up for the below par bowling attack but with Gayle not playing, the likes of all-rounder Shane Watson will have to take even more load.
In their previous game, Bangalore put up 191 on the board but saw their bowling attack torn to bits by Quinton de Kock who scored 108 from 51 balls for Delhi.
The Royal Challengers will know that they can’t expect their batsmen to deliver every game and must bolster their bowling attack. They could go in for Varun Aaron, whose extra pace could make the difference.
