Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli as IPL 2021 gets underway with Friday blockbuster between MI and RCB

IPL 2021, MI vs RCB preview: 5-time champions Mumbai Indians take on revamped Royal Challengers Bangalore in a star-studded opening match. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and multiple other sub-plots as the T20 spectacle gets underway in Chennai.

Not long ago, Mumbai Indians won their record-extending 5th Indian Premier League title, beating Delhi Capitals in a one-sided final in Dubai. In fact, it has been only 5 months since Mumbai dominated the IPL in the UAE. But here we are, just a few hours away from another instalment of the biggest T20 franchise cricket extravaganza -- the IPL 2021. After pulling off a spectacular and secure tournament across 3 venues in the UAE last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has brought the IPL home. Despite the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, the Indian cricket board is confident of pulling off another season of the IPL, which assumes greater importance in the T20 World Cup year. And you could not have asked for a bigger Friday blockbuster than the battle between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Mumbai Indians in the opening match of IPL 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.