Defending champions Mumbai Indians will need their famed top-order batting to fire and turn things around when they take on Punjab Kings on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Punjab is placed in the fifth spot after returning to winning ways in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad following a splendid performance from the bowlers, who made up for the team's below-par batting display.
Punjab possesses a formidable batting line-up with skipper KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal scoring the bulk of the runs at the top of the order. With the ageless Chris Gayle, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran also in the ranks, Punjab does have the firepower in batting to blow away any attack.
However, Punjab's batters couldn't adjust to the slow conditions at Sharjah in their last game, prompting skipper Rahul to ask them to learn to bat according to the surface. In the bowling department, Mohammed Shami and young Arshdeep Singh have shone the brightest, while spinner Ravi Bishnoi grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he returned with three wickets after his inclusion in the last game.
Key player:
Nothing short of a captain’s knock is expected from KL Rahul as the talented batting lineup is heavily dependent on him.
Probable XI: KL Rahul (c/wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Sing
Squad: KL Rahul (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Aiden Markram, Mandeep Singh, Darsan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Jalaj Saxena.
Time is running out for Mumbai after they lost all the three games post the resumption of the IPL in the UAE, slipping to the seventh spot with 8 points from 10 games. MI's batting has been a major worry for the franchise as their mainstays with the willow, including Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, have been struggling for runs. In bowling, Jasprit Bumrah has consistently delivered, returning with 8 wickets so far in the last three matches, while fellow pacers Trent Boult and Adam Milne too have contributed with 3 scalps each. But the spin duo of Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya has disappointed and will need to step up their performance if MI are to qualify for the knockout stage.
Key player: With the remaining batters failing to perform skipper Rohit Sharma has to come up with a brilliant performance.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain) Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, Adam Milne, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult
Match Details:
Timing: Match starts at 7.30 pm and the toss will take place at 7 pm.
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Betting Odds (Oddschecker):
PBKS: 13/10
MI: 4/6
-with agency inputs
(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)
First Published: Sept 28, 2021 4:43 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
Mark Mobius reveals how markets will react if NDA wins 400+ Lok Sabha seats
May 15, 2024 8:09 PM
Wine shops and bars to remain shut for 4 days in Mumbai in 4 weeks, check details
May 15, 2024 7:52 PM
INDIA bloc will win majority seats in Bihar, says Tejashwi Yadav
May 15, 2024 4:20 PM