Punjab look to scrap off mid-season blues against scratchy MI

After this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) reaches its halfway mark, Mumbai and Punjab are seventh and eighth on the points table, with the latter team having a better run rate. 

While Punjab Kings (PBKS) have suffered with their top order not scoring runs, Mumbai Indians (MI) and their problems begin with their captain and end in their bowling attack, as their search for a worthy bowling partner to Jasprit Bumrah is still on. 

While Mohammad Nabi has been miserly, Mumbai haven’t trusted their other spinner Shreyas Gopal enough. Moreover, in the pace department, Gerald Coetzee, despite picking up wickets almost every game, has been expensive at the death and the powerplay where he’s leaking runs at more than 10 runs/over. Akash Madhwal has gone back to being expensive after his three wickets for 20 runs in his first game of the season. 

In the last game, even the batting couldn’t ably support Rohit Sharma, who scored a 60-ball hundred, chasing 207, but the rest of the team kept falling around him, and none except Tilak Varma could cross the 30-run mark. 

This time at Mullanpur, Punjab have a great opportunity to register a win and escape the mid-season blues. If that happens, Shikhar Dhawan’s side will be pushing for the playoffs. 

PBKS vs MI head-to-head 

Overall : Matches 31 | PBKS won 15 | MI won 16

Since 2021 : Matches 5 | PBKS won 3 | MI won 2 

This is the first time Mumbai Indians will play at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab. 

Venue details and conditions 

It’s a new ground and a new home for the PBKS, and they have won only one out of three home games this season. The teams chasing here have found the rub of the green going their way as they have won two of the three games that have been played here. 

With the average first innings winning score being 182/9, expect the pitch to be slightly two-paced, especially during the first innings (average first innings total 168/9). 

The weather is expected to be between 25-35°C with zero chances of precipitation. 

Things to watch out for 

Can the real Hardik Pandya show up, please?

Except for the game against CSK at the Wankhede, Hardik Pandya has got starts (albeit not so quick ones) throughout this season with scores of 21*(6), 39(33), 34(21), 24(20), and 11(4). However, his inability to convert these starts into something substantial for MI has seriously impacted the balance of their side as the main bridge between MI’s middle and lower order isn’t functioning. 

Short balls (3 dismissals in 8 balls) have especially troubled him during this period. 

With the booing and trolling adding extra pressure, his bowling has also taken a fall. Swing and seam movement haven’t been readily available for Pandya whenever he has picked up the ball this season. His economy of 12 is the second highest for any pacer this IPL after Anrich Nortje’s 13.4. 

That has proved detrimental to MI as he allowed MS Dhoni to score 20 runs against him in four balls off the last, and in the end, MI ended up losing the game by 20 runs. 

Punjab’s batting unit needs to get on a Ferrari

PBKS batters have the third lowest batting run rate (8.9) among all teams this season, and that has to do especially with their slow starts. They have the lowest run rate this season, scoring only 7.8 runs/over in the first six overs.

Shikhar Dhawan is yet to step up with the bat. After making 45 and 70 in the second and third games respectively, he has scored just 37 runs in the three games after that. Also, he averages just 20.3 in chases. 

Meanwhile, PBKS have also been seriously impacted with Jonny Bairstow and Jitesh Sharma not giving desired performances with the bat this season. The fact that their lower-order batters Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have been their best bats along with allrounder Sam Curran should how massively the PBKS top-order batting needs to step up. 

Probable XIs

Shikhar Dhawan didn’t play the last game for PBKS and he should be back in the side now. Meanwhile, MI can consider bringing in Nuwan Thusara, whose slingy action might give their attack some added novelty. 

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (IP), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd/Nuwan Thusara, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal,

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Liam Livingstone, Ashutosh Sharma (IP), Harshal Patel, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada 

Streaming and Telecast details 

The match will begin at 7:30 PM on Star Sports (Telecast) and Jio Cinema (OTT).