Preview:
Defending champions, Mumbai Indians are in all sorts of trouble at the moment. Three back-to-back defeats in the second leg of the competition has pushed them down to the seventh spot in the standings, with 8 points in their bank. The batters played careless shots in the run chase against RCB, which handed them a 54-run loss. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav’s form is a concern for them. Interestingly, both have been named in the T20 World Cup squad.
Punjab Kings held their nerves in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad and defended a very low score to emerge victoriously by mere 5 runs. They share the same points with Mumbai Indians, but occupy the fifth spot in the standings, courtesy of a better net run rate. The tournament is wide open with 4 teams fighting for the remaining one spot and this match will be very crucial in that context.
Match Details:
Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Match 42
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Date & Time: September 28th at 7:30 PM IST, and at 6:00 PM local time
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report:
It’s a good competitive wicket that has got everything in it. The pacers can extract more bounce, whereas the spinners are getting a turn as well. It’s a 165-175 kind of a wicket, and whoever wins the toss should bat first.
Also Read: I can’t fathom why Yuzvendra Chahal was omitted from the T20 WC squad: Virender Sehwag
Probable Playing XIs for MI vs PBKS:
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya/Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Punjab Kings
Lokesh Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Mohammad Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
Top Picks for MI vs PBKS Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batters
Rohit Sharma will be extremely disappointed with the fashion in which he was dismissed against RCB on Sunday. He was cruising well for his half-century, but ended his innings on 43 runs from 28 deliveries.
Mayank Agarwal is well known for his adaptivity to any condition. Karnataka’s opening batter has hammered 332 runs in 9 matches in this IPL at an average of 41.5, with the highest score of 99*.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Hardik Pandya didn’t enjoy the comeback after an injury against RCB, as he was dismissed for only 3 runs. He is a proper finisher for Mumbai Indians and will look forward to a better game against Punjab Kings.
Top Picks – Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah is a lethal weapon with the ball for Mumbai Indians. He removed two of the world’s more destructive batters in Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers in consecutive deliveries in the last match and ended with the figures of 3/36.
Mohammed Shami is the leader of Punjab’s bowling attack. He has scalped 13 wickets in 10 matches in this edition at an economy of 7.33, with the best figures of 3/21.
Top Picks – Wicketkeepers
Lokesh Rahul has a good record against defending champions Mumbai Indians. The Punjab skipper has mustered 401 runs in 9 matches in this IPL at an average of 57.28, which comprises 4 half-centuries.
MI vs PBKS Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Statistics (This Tournament) | Dream11 Points |
| Rohit Sharma | 326 runs | 455 |
| Quinton de Kock | 251 runs | 413 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 14 wickets | 471 |
| Lokesh Rahul | 401 runs | 617 |
| Mayank Agarwal | 332 runs | 499 |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for MI vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Lokesh Rahul (c), Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma (vc), Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav, Aiden Markram, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for MI vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Quinton de Kock (c), Lokesh Rahul, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Mayank Agarwal (vc), Aiden Markram, Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar
MI vs PBKS Risky Captaincy Choices:
Ishan Kishan is struggling to find his form in this IPL. He averages 13.37 with the bat. You can take a risk and pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Universe Boss Chris Gayle has notched 192 runs in 9 matches in this edition. Once he starts scoring runs, it is very hard to stop him. It’s worth a risk and you can pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Player you should avoid:
Adam Milne has picked up 3 wickets in 4 matches in this IPL at an economy of 9.35. Considering his current form, it’s better to avoid him while making your fantasy teams.
