🏏IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, 31st Match- 7:30 PM IST 🏏

"The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the outcome of any game, are the ones who succeed in every game."

🏏IPL 2023: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, 31st Match- 7:30 PM IST 🏏

Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks

After winning three back-to-back matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023, Mumbai Indians (MI) are all set to host Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today.

Notably, the Kings started the season really well, but their batting unit flopped in the last match against RCB, and that is one area that the team needs to work on immediately.

However, skipper Shikhar Dhawan is very likely to make his return against MI, and that will boost their chances of going all the way.

When it comes to MI, their batting has significantly improved in the last few matches.

Youngster Cameron Green showed a lot of composure in the last match against SRH, while Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma once again live up to their potential. With the ball, Piyush Chawla once again delivered, while Arjun Tendulkar was brilliant in both the power play and at the death.

The situation is totally opposite for Punjab Kings, who have lost way after a fine start.

They won the first two games and managed only one more in the next four and are in danger of slipping into the position of being perennial underachievers of the IPL.

The team needs Shikhar Dhawan on the top, something Harbhajan Singh rightly said. "The Punjab side seems largely dependent on their captain Shikhar Dhawan in the batting department, which is a concern. While depending on one player, you can win two or three matches, but you cannot win a tournament like the IPL.

The rest of Punjab players will have to support their captain and take responsibility if they wish to go forward.

It is such a pleasant situation that few remembers that Rohit has only one half-century across formats in 12 innings.

But then there can be little complaints about the skipper's form. He has been providing blazing starts with the bat and the rest of the team is able to exploit that.

Mumbai Indians, suddenly, seem to have got their mojo back.

Thanks for the tag. MI FTW

MI vs PBKS Probable Playing XIs

Mumbai Indians (MI):

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nehal Wadhera, Arjun Tendulkar, Hrithik Shokeen, Jason Behrendorff, Piyush Chawla

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

MI vs PBKS Probable Best Performers

Mumbai spent a whooping INR 17.50 crore to sign the Australia international in the IPL auction. He took time to get adjusted, but in the last match, he showed his class, and in Wankhede, where the ball will nicely come to the bat, Green can wreak havoc.

Spin wizard Piyush Chawla is in remarkable form this season. The leg-spinner picked up seven wickets from five matches so far and can threaten PBKS batters, who are not in great form at the moment.

MI vs PBKS Pitch Report

The surface at the Wankhede Stadium offers true bounce, and the batters will enjoy the ball coming onto the bat. The strip for the game is expected to be a batting paradise. Bowling first will be ideal and anything above 180 runs will be good on this wicket.

The possibility of dew could play a factor in influencing the decision at the toss. The pitch, and the ground size, has aided batters a touch particularly early in the season.

Head to head: Mumbai Indians 15 - 14 Punjab Kings

Thanks for the tag Madhu.🤗

May the best team win.👍🏼

Cheers..

180+ 😆

Depends on who is playing first 🤣

Mumbai Indians have played 5 matches in the series and they are currently ranked sixth on the points table, while Punjab Kings have played 6 matches in the series and they are currently ranked seventh on the points table.

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a balanced pitch. The average 1st innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 160 runs. The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a sporting one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers on offer. The team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl depending on the ground conditions today.

Weather Report for Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Temperature is expected to be around 27.71 °C with 70% humidity. 3.89 m/s winds are expected.

Pace or Spin?

Pacers have been very successful at this venue. They have taken 70% of the total wickets at this venue. We would suggest that you pick as many pace bowlers as possible in your team. Based on the stats available, Fantasy gully experts predict that the pitch will continue to assist the pacers.

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Mumbai Indians have played 5 matches in the series and they are currently ranked sixth on the points table, while Punjab Kings have played 6 matches in the series and they are currently ranked seventh on the points table.

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a balanced pitch. The average 1st innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 160 runs. The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a sporting one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers on offer. The team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl depending on the ground conditions today.

Weather Report for Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Temperature is expected to be around 27.71 °C with 70% humidity. 3.89 m/s winds are expected.

Pace or Spin?

Pacers have been very successful at this venue. They have taken 70% of the total wickets at this venue. We would suggest that you pick as many pace bowlers as possible in your team. Based on the stats available, Fantasy gully experts predict that the pitch will continue to assist the pacers.

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

MI aur PK ke match mein GT runs banayegi

Par apne match mein kyun nahin run banaya😕

Mumbai Indians: The team looks settled and there are unlikely to be any changes unless Jofra Archer gets fit and is ready to return to action. One of Jason Behrendorff and Riley Meredith could make way in that case.

Tactics and match-ups: Mumbai's experienced batters pulling their weight will be one of the targets heading into the game. For Rohit, this could be an uphill task against a bowling line-up that is stacked with bowlers that are not his first choice - left-arm pace and the ball turning away. Since 2019, he has been dismissed 21 times to this, and the likes of Arshdeep, Curran, Chahar and Harpreet Brar could be challenges.

PBKS: With spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar doing well, one possible change is Kagiso Rabada coming in place of Nathan Ellis. There is an outside chance of Shikhar Dhawan coming in as an impact player, to bat.

Tactics and match-ups: Kagiso Rabada could find his way back into the eleven particularly since his good match-up against the likes of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. He has dismissed the former twice in 26 balls and the latter thrice in 40 bals.

Did you know:

-Teams chasing have won 11 of the last 14 matches at the Wankhede Stadium including the last five in a row

- Shikhar Dhawan accounted for more than 1/3rd of the total team runs for Punjab in the four matches he played

What they said:

If I bowl my fours overs upfront and would then be able to walk off, it would be nice, wouldn't it? I think it is a good opportunity to give guys games. We had the same with Rohit when he was under the weather. Those sorts of impacts are really beneficial for the game - Jason Behrendorff, Mumbai Indians pacer

We'll come back on Saturday. We are playing in Mumbai on Saturday, it's a good wicket out there and we're excited to play over there - Sam Curran, stand-in skipper of PBKS