Recent results in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) have favored both the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The mid-table muddle seems to be on its way to resolution, and the winner of the MI vs RCB clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, May 9 will move up to as high as third place.

To give that some context, Mumbai are currently eighth and Bangalore sixth. Both teams have five wins and as many losses, but all the other teams in the top eight have already played 11 matches. This means that the importance of this encounter simply cannot be underestimated.

MI managed to put on a two-game winning run that showed the might of their power-packed batting lineup. However, they came undone at the hands of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their previous game. They have several questions to answer, and most of them don't have clear-cut solutions.

RCB, meanwhile, were given a hiding by the Delhi Capitals (DC), who are currently dead last in the standings, in their last IPL 2023 encounter. Faf du Plessis and Co. won three of their last four matches before that loss, though, and will be confident of putting it behind them.

The last time these two teams met in the league, Bangalore thrashed Mumbai by eight wickets. Tilak Varma's sensational knock went in vain as Du Plessis struck a fiery fifty with company from his opening partner and deputy Virat Kohli.

Since then, though, a lot has changed. Which team can move up to third in the standings?

While Jofra Archer hasn't been at his lethal best, he has shown glimpses of his immense ability. At the same time, though, he hasn't had much support from the plethora of Indian and overseas seamers MI have tried out. Piyush Chawla has probably been the lone bright spark in their bowling attack.

RCB, on the other hand, have had to rely heavily on Mohammed Siraj, who will come into this contest the back of a rare bad game. Wanindu Hasaranga hasn't been as potent as he'd have liked, while others like Harshal Patel have been horribly expensive. Their shortcomings were exposed by DC in the previous game.

The difference between the two sides lies in their respective batting units.

Yes, Rohit Sharma has been in a terrible rut for quite a few IPL seasons now, but those around him have stepped up to the plate. RCB, meanwhile, don't have a batting lineup that is anywhere near as complete despite the emergence of Mahipal Lomror alongside the big three.

Moreover, Kohli's struggles with upping the ante against spin have hurt RCB's chances a few times already this year. Glenn Maxwell has either completely failed or played match-winning innings. Du Plessis is at the top of the Orange Cap list and has been their standout batter thus far, but he can't do it every time.

The chasing team will have a significant advantage at the Wankhede Stadium, so the toss will play a big role on Tuesday. However, taking the coin out of the equation, MI's batting unit could prove to be decisive.

While the overall composition of the two sides makes this anybody's game, the home team might be the slightest of favorites.