Their head-to-head rivalry is as competitive as it gets. In 16 IPL innings, Bumrah has dismissed Kohli five times, yet Kohli has managed to score 140 runs off just 95 balls against the speedster

With a strike rate of 147.36 and an average of 28.00, Kohli has counter-attacked effectively, hammering 15 boundaries and clearing the ropes five times.

The contest remains finely poised, with neither player allowing the other sustained dominance, a true testament to their elite skill levels and hunger to outperform one another. The legacy of this duel will perhaps be etched clearer only at the end of their storied careers

Kohli has begun IPL 2025 with solid form, having amassed 97 runs in three matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate above 134, including a half-century. Bumrah, on the other hand, returns after a long injury layoff, having last played competitive cricket during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, where he sustained a stress injury in his back.

Coming into the match, RCB are placed third on the points table with two wins and one loss, including impressive victories away from home against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians find themselves languishing in eighth place, with just a solitary win from four outings