In the 33rd match of the IPL 2024, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI). The match will take place on April 18 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Mohali. It is hosting the IPL for the first time in the ongoing season. Both PBKS and MI will be looking forward to the match, given their current positions in the points table in the league.
Both MI and PBKS have four points from six games and need to pick up winning momentum as the league phase nears the half-way stage. A win at this stage for any of the team will have their confidence boosted for the latter half of the tournament.
MI vs PBKS previous performances.
Both teams have had a similar journey in the ongoing league. While PBKS is placed in the 7th position, MI is placed in the 8th position, just a spot below their opponents for the upcoming match. Both teams have played six games, managed to win two, and lost four of their matches. While both teams have a total of eight points, PBKS’ net run rate of -0.218 is better than MI’s net run rate of -0.234. A big win for either team could take them to the fifth spot in the points table.
Both teams sustained a loss in their previous games in their own backyard. MI lost their match against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Punjab Kings lost to RR in a thriller by three wickets. While both teams have positive feedback in different regards, they would love to be back in winning ways. One can expect a good match between the two sides. Both teams have some of the best players in the world, like Rohit Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah, and so on.
MI vs PBKS Head to Head .
Mumbai have a marginal edge with 16-15 record against the Punjab outfit in 31 clashes. Since 2020 as well, MI vs PBKS have been tightly fought contests with MI leading 4-3.
MI vs PBKS Pitch report
The match between MI and PBKS is set to take place at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur of Mohali. It is known for its assistance for the bowlers. Batters need to work hard for runs. They need to produce runs from their brilliance. Bowlers need to operate in accurate line and length and let the pitch do the rest. It is a slow surface, and toss might not be a big factor as the wicket does not break down as much.
Dew hasn’t made much of an appearance here, yet captains have preferred chasing at this venue. Expect the pacers to continue leading the charge in helpful conditions. Teams winning the toss have opted to chase in Mullanpur, and won two out of three games this season. The one time they lost, Kings fell only two runs short against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The pitches have largely been batting-friendly, and expect the trend to continue in the evening game on Thursday.
Big picture – The contrast between Kings and Mumbai
Punjab Kings have only one batter with more than 150 runs this season, but he’s going to miss Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have three over 150 and those who have fewer runs are either middle and lower-order batters or haven’t played enough games in IPL 2024.
Mumbai’s openers have given them a kickstart: the 308 runs between Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan is the second highest for the first wicket this year; they have been separated in single-digits in only two out of six innings, and have fifty-plus partnerships (including a hundred) in the other four. Their partnership runs have come at more than 11 runs an over.
The Kings haven’t had such batting riches. Their regular openers – Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow – have totaled 168 runs at only 8.33. With Dhawan injured for their previous game against Royals, Kings opened with Bairstow and Atharva Taide but there was not much improvement.
The contrast doesn’t end there. Mumbai have hit 67 sixes this season, the second highest, while Kings’ 44 is the second lowest. In the powerplay, Mumbai’s 23 sixes and Punjab’s four are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Though Mumbai’s batting is performing much better than Punjab’s, they are just below the Kings near the bottom of the table with four points from six games. And that may be down to the contrast between their bowling units this season.
Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s genius (10 wickets at an average of 14.60 and economy of 6.08), Mumbai have one of the poorest performing attacks of the season: their collective average of 35.72 and economy of 10.04 is the third worst among the ten teams. Punjab, on the other hand, have the best bowling average (25.20) and the fourth best economy rate (8.87) this season.
Their home venue might have something to do with it. Teams have struggled to start fast in Mullanpur: the powerplay run rate of 7.11 there is the lowest this season, which means Rohit and Ishan will be challenged to give Mumbai their customary quick start on Wednesday.
Team news and Impact Player strategy
In the spotlight: Kagiso Rabada and Rohit Sharma
Stats that matter
- Rohit will become only the second player after MS Dhoni to play 250 matches in the IPL
- Kishan has been dismissed three times in 12 balls by Arshdeep Singh in the IPL but has a strike rate of 208.3 against him. Against Rabada though, Kishan has 58 runs off 33 balls for one dismissal.
- Rohit has a strike rate of 148 against Rabada for two dismissals in the IPL, but in all T20s, he has been dismissed four times in 74 balls for just 89 runs. Against Harshal Patel in the IPL, his head-to-head reads: 27 runs, 23 balls, three dismissals.
- Rabada against Suryakumar Yadav could be the contest to watch: 94 runs off 52 balls with three dismissals.
Teams Watch MI and PBKS
Punjab Kings
Injuries & Availability: Dhawan remains unavailable for at least the two remaining games at Mullanpur, whereas Jitesh Sharma, who played the last game despite a blow to the forehead and with more than a dozen stitches, seems fit enough to continue.
Tactics & Matchups: Hardik Pandya’s poor form with the ball – among bowlers with 10+ overs this season his economy of 12 is second-worst – may make him an easy target for Punjab’s finishers, who have been in good nick. Shashank has been going at the pacers with a strike-rate of 205.36 this IPL whereas Ashutosh, in his three knocks, has consistently struck above 182.
Probable XI: Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Sam Curran (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk.), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada [Impact sub: Prabhsimran Singh/Rahul Chahar]
Mumbai Indians
Injuries & Availability: No injury concerns to report in the MI camp.
Tactics & Matchups: Suryakumar Yadav vs Sam Curran is a budding rivalry and so far the MI batter has had the wood over the PBKS stand-in captain. Suryakumar has smashed 52 runs off the English allrounder in just 20 balls, at a strike-rate of 260, while conceding his wicket only once. However, he’s in for an unfavorable match-up against Rabada on the other hand, averaging just a shade above 18 and losing his wicket thrice to the South Africa speedster.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk.), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Shreyas Gopal, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal [Impact sub: Suryakumar Yadav]
Fantasy XI MI vs PBKS : Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk.), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Sam Curran ,Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada , Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav.
MI vs PBKS Match prediction
Mumbai Indians are the favorites to beat Punjab Kings in the upcoming match. Punjab’s batting unit looks shaken and the absence of Shikhar Dhawan could hurt them further. Mumbai have also endured a tough season but the team has looked good in their last three matches. The team is full of match-winners and should beat Punjab, who have lost each of their last two games.