Match number 23 of the Indian T20 League sees a clash between five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and the franchise who are yet to win their maiden trophy Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Things are just not going Mumbai’s way this season. They are yet to register their first victory this season as the Blues have lost all 4 of their previous games. The inclusion of Ramandeep Singh and Jaydev Unadkat didn’t help matters in the results column, so Rohit will have to devise a new strategy for the forthcoming match.
Punjab Kings, on the other side, have won two and lost two games so far, and they’ve had a mixed tournament thus far, with the batting and bowling departments performing admirably in alternate games. In their previous match, the Mayank Agarwal-led team was defeated by the Gujarat Titans thanks to a sensational finish from Rahul Tewatia. Liam Livingstone, on the other hand, has been a huge positive for the brand in the last two games and is expected to continue to do so.
With Chennai winning yesterday, Mumbai remains to be the only team to put some points on the board.
MI vs PBKS – Match Details
Match #23
Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune
Date & Time: 13th April, 7:30 PM
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network for Television and Disney + Hotstar app for live streaming.
Pitch Report
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) successfully chased down a target of 152 in the previous game at the MCA stadium in Pune. Thus, the team batting first would undoubtedly require a lot more than the 160 mark.
This pitch has always aided quick bowlers and been quite sporting, and today will be no exception. The captain that wins the toss will have no hesitations in bowling first at the ground.
Top Performer
Punjab Kings
Liam Livingstone has been a revelation for PBKS in the last two games, and he has performed admirably with the bat. The right-hander struck a 27-ball 64 that included 7 fours and 4 sixes, helping his side to post a big total on the board. He’s also contributed with the ball, providing a solid balance to the team as the sixth bowling option, and he’s expected to keep his destructive form with the bat going.
Mumbai Indians
Suryakumar Yadav has played a few quality knocks in the previous few matches and has a tally of 120 runs to his name in 2 matches. He is looking in great shape and will look to continue his great form and convert his cameo knocks into winning knocks.
Predicted XI
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen/Tim David, Murugan Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat, Jasprit Bumrah, Basil Thampi/ Tymal Mills.
Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow(w), Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh.