MI vs PBKS Match Preview
Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma, who had a sedate start to the season, have gradually regained form and given the team some good starts in the last couple of matches. Both players play aggressively and attempt to maximize the powerplay but they don't always stay at the crease for a long time.
This means that neither of these players is a good option to be made Captain of the Dream11 team.
Cameron Green played a vital inning of 64 runs in the Mumbai Indian’s latest fixture against the Sunrisers Hyderabad to propel them to a match-winning total. He is also bowling regularly and if he continues to bat up the order (likely when MI bats first), he could be an excellent option.
With Tilak Varma in good form too, the Mumbai Indians seem to have a decent batting line-up at their disposal.
In the bowling department, while most of the bowlers have chipped in, there has been no standout performer for the team. Piyush Chawla is the leading wicket-taker for the team with 7 wickets, while Jason Behrendorff has taken 6. Arjun Tendulkar, who has played a couple of games now, looks promising but only time will tell how effective he is, especially in the death overs.
The batting has been one of the weakest links for Punjab Kings, and with Shikhar Dhawan missing the last couple of matches due to an injured shoulder, it appears to be particularly vulnerable at the moment. In the match against the Royals, none of the batsmen other than Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma managed to impress.
The team has some big names including Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the middle order, but they have been rather inconsistent so far. Here is the thing, though. This batting lineup is likely to enjoy the conditions in Mumbai. Also, we think the MI bowling lineup is one of the weakest and someone like Livingstone or Short could really lay into it.
Arshdeep Singh will once again lead the new-ball attack for the Punjab Kings. He has done a good job so far, picking up 9 wickets, and will be supported by Sam Curran and Nathan Ellis. Harpreet Brar has been pretty economical with his left-arm orthodox spin and has also picked up 4 wickets. However, Rahul Chahar has been struggling to make an impact.
Weather Report
There is no rain expected for this match. The Temperatures should be in their mid-thirties and humidity high.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is generally considered good for batting and we expect it to be no different for this match. The team batting first will be looking to set a target of close to 200 runs to give the bowlers a good chance to defend. The average first inning score so far has been 171 so anything above that can be competitive.
The pitch is expected to be on the drier side with little assistance for the quicker bowlers. However, the spinners will get some help here.
Notable stats
Tilak Varma’s Consistent Batting
Tilak Varma has been a consistent performer with the bat in the T20 format. In his last 10 outings, he has scored 308 runs at an average of 38.00 and a strike rate of 142.05.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side. We could have some condition related changes for this match, though.
MI vs PBKS Probable 11
MI Playing 11
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Surya Kumar Yadav
- Cameron Green
- Tilak Varma
- Tim David
- Nehal Wadhera
- Arjun Tendulkar
- Hrithik Shokeen
- Jason Behrendorff
- Piyush Chawla
PBKS Playing 11
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Atharva Taide
- Matthew Short
- Harpreet Singh
- Liam Livingstone
- Jitesh Sharma (Wk)
- Sam Curran (C)
- Shahrukh Khan
- Nathan Ellis
- Rahul Chahar
- Arshdeep Singh
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Mumbai Indians to win here. They have a good momentum going in their favor and the opposition hasn’t been in the best of forms of late. Also, the Indians have a good record at their home ground, which will be an added advantage for them.
Top Picks
Surya Kumar Yadav: While Yadav hasn’t performed too well this season, his exploits in the previous seasons of the IPL are a testament to his quality. We feel that he is now due to play a big inning and playing in front of a home crowd may just turn things around for him.
Ishan Kishan: Ishan Kishan has gradually picked up form in the last few matches and will once again look to play a big inning here. He has scored a total of 169 runs so far at a strike rate of 145.68.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep Singh is the leading wicket-taker for the Punjab Kings this season and has picked up 9 wickets in 6 matches. He has an impressive bowling strike rate of 14.00.
MI vs PBKS Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: I Kishan, J Sharma, P Singh
Batters: R Sharma, S Yadav, T Varma
All-rounders: S Curran (VC), C Green (C)
Bowlers: A Singh, P Chawla, J Behrendorff
