IPL 2023, MI vs PBKS | Preview, Pitch Report, Predicted XI, Fantasy Tips and Prediction
Punjab have won 3 and have lost 3 games [iplt20.com]
A rampant Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to collide against a stuttering Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on a Saturday double header bonanza day.
Mumbai Indians were written off after back-to-back losses in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. But a resurgent team, under the astute leadership of Rohit Sharma have risen from the Ashes and are back in the race for a top-4 finish. On the other hand, Punjab started the tournament with two wins on a trot, but have somehow lost their way in the competition.
Team Previews
Mumbai Indians
A team oozing with confidence at the moment, Mumbai Indians are well and truly back to their imperial best. The last match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad showed MI's resilience, as on a tough wicket, Tilak Varma and Cameron Green showed how to bat with a clear mind, and the bowlers did a terrific job to clinch a third successive victory.
Young Tilak Varma is leading the charge for the Mumbai Indians this season, but question marks are still there on their batting lineup. Barring that one match against the Knight Riders, SKY has failed to deliver the goods. Same goes for the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. The batters need to up their ante.
Jofra Archer recently gave a hint that he is ready for a comeback. The England seamer played only one game in the tournament and was made to sit out because of an injury. A fit Jofra will be a massive boost for the MI side.
Punjab Kings
The Shikhar Dhawan led side started the IPL 2023 with two successive wins, but have failed to continue the momentum, and have lost three out of their last four matches. The absence of Dhawan due to an injury is a cause of worry for the Punjab side, who lack the cutting edge without him. This was evident in their loss against RCB, when the entire batting lineup failed to absorb the pressure.
The only shining light has been Prabhsimran Singh, who fought a valiant battle against RCB, but that wasn't enough to drag them past the winning line.
As a unit, they need to click in order to defeat the Mumbai Indians. Another issues has been the lack of impact from the foreign players. Barring Sikandar Raza, who was the Player of the Match against LSG, no one else has delivered for their side. Dhawan's fitness is constantly being monitored, so it'll be interesting to see if the PBKS skipper plays in the next match.
Match Details
Date and Time: April 22, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Wankhede Stadium
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network, Jio Cinema
Pitch Report
Last time when Mumbai Indians played at this venue, we witnessed a centurion (Venkatesh Iyer) and truckloads of runs scored by both MI and KKR. Expect a belter of a wicket, a paradise for the batters. The ball generally comes onto the bat nicely and Wankhede will once again witness a high-scoring game.
Predicted XI
MI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Hrithik Shokeen, Arjun Tendulkar, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff.
Impact Players: Riley Meredith, Arshad Khan, Jofra Archer, Dewald Brevis, Kumar Kartikeya
PBKS: Shikhar Dhawan/Atharva Taide, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar
Impact Players: Prabhsimran Singh, Nathan Ellis, Rishi Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shivam Singh.
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicket-keepers: Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Kishan
Batters: Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma
All-rounders: Sam Curran, Cameron Green
Bowlers: Jason Behrendorff, Arshdeep Singh, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar
Prediction
Mumbai Indians have won three in a row, and the momentum is with them. When MI are playing like this, there is hardly any team that can stop them. So, expect Mumbai to walk out victorious from this contest.
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