Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings differ only in small ways. Due to a tiny decimal-point differential in their NRR, they are ranked seventh and eighth in the standings, respectively. Having only scored four points from six games, both teams are eager for more as they approach the halfway point of their IPL 2024 campaigns on Thursday, April 18. Both teams enter the match fresh off losses in the last overs, though MI had found some momentum prior to losing to CSK, even after Rohit Sharma scored his first IPL century in a decade.
Each team has an exceptional pacer who hasn’t received enough reliable help from the opposition. Even on days when he has failed to claim a wicket, Jasprit Bumrah (ER 6.08) has shown to be hard to contain, while PBKS’s Kagiso Rabada (ER 7.95) is returning to form and has opponents on edge. A few batters carry the bulk of the load for both sides: Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, MI’s seasoned opening duo, consistently provide them with blistering starts, while Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, the hosts’ uncapped pair, save them blushes at the backend. MI has only scored fewer than 50 runs in a PowerPlay this year once.
In reality, MI has the second-best boundary percentage of 29.2 and the run-rate of 10.67, making them the third-best club in the IPL 2024 PowerPlays average of 48. In this phase, they have also struck the majority of sixes (23).
But the next track might not be as scoring-friendly after four games in a row in their home stadium. Mullanpur’s run rate of 7.28, which is lower than the season average of 9.18, makes it the least scoring venue in PowerPlays. In this situation, the team’s prospects of victory will depend heavily on the start made by the in-form MI openers, particularly in light of their skipper Hardik Pandya’s inconsistent play and Suryakumar Yadav’s inconsistent season since his injury comeback.
The top-order issues in Punjab, on the other hand, are widely known. Their captain Shikhar Dhawan’s bat has produced the lone 50+ knock, while their top three have amassed the lowest total of runs in the IPL 2024—382. But his shoulder issue has made PBKS’s hitting problems worse. Despite the disappointing outcomes, Punjab hasn’t made many changes or cuts this season; they have continued to believe in the potential of players like Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma. If PBKS wants to get their campaign back on track before it becomes just another season of what-ifs, they will be expecting their top-order to step up. They now have a better understanding of the circumstances at the new home stadium.
When: April 18, @ 19:30, PBKS vs. MI, Match 33
Where: Mullanpur, New Chandigarh’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium
Anticipations: Although Dew hasn’t shown up frequently in this location, captains have chosen to chase here. With favorable conditions, expect the pacers to keep leading the push.
Head-to-Head: Mumbai has a slim advantage against Punjab after 31 matches, going 16–15 against them. Since 2020, MI and PBKS have also had close matches, with MI coming out on top 4-3.
Groups Observe
Kings of Punjab
Availability & Injuries: Jitesh Sharma played the last game despite taking more than a dozen stitches to his forehead and is apparently well enough to play again, while Dhawan is out for at least the next two games in Mullanpur.
Strategies & Matchups: Punjab’s finishers, who have been playing well, may find Hardik Pandya an easy target due to his poor form with the ball. Among bowlers with 10+ overs this season, his economy of 12 is second-worst. This IPL, Shashank has been attacking the pacers with a strike-rate of 205.36, while Ashutosh has routinely struck above 182 in his three knocks.
Ashutosh Sharma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Sam Curran (C), Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Kagiso Rabada are the probable members of the starting XI. [Prabhsimran Singh/Rahul Chahar, Impact sub]
Indians from Mumbai
Availability & Injuries: There are no reported injuries at the MI camp.
Strategies & Matchups: Sam Curran and Suryakumar Yadav are developing a rivalry, and MI’s batter has so far had the upper hand over the PBKS interim skipper. Suryakumar has amassed 52 runs at a strike-rate of 260 off the English all-rounder in just 20 deliveries, only giving up one wicket in the process. On the other side, he’s going to have a difficult time facing Rabada, who averages just a little bit over 18 and has already claimed three wickets from the South African pacer.
The probable starting eleven are: Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Shreyas Gopal, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya (C). [Sub: Suryakumar Yadav, Impact]
Were you aware?
– Rohit Sharma will only be the second player in IPL history to play 250 games, behind MS Dhoni.
This season, MI has lost both of its away games: by six runs against GT in Ahmedabad and by 31 runs against SRH in Hyderabad.
– Of all the teams in the IPL 2024, PBKS has made the fewest changes (4 in six games).
– Despite Suryakumar’s poor away performance average since IPL 2023, he hit fifty in both of his matches against PBKS in the previous tournament.
What they expressed:
“Now is the moment for our superior to assume accountability. The areas we need to focus on in order to score runs have been addressed. It’s also a challenge for the hitters [across teams] coming onto this wicket. It’s a hard pitch for every batsman, unlike other wickets in India. In particular, because of the entirely different makeup of the team, for the visiting batters. Thus, I think it’s advantageous for us.” PBKS spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi on the pressing issues
I’ve known him for over ten years—either through friendship or experience—and he’s incredibly difficult. And he will only become more motivated by something like this. For many of us, the way he’s handling it thus far has been amazing and extremely motivating. It’s clearly not easy to witness it every day, but the man deserves praise for being one of the toughest people on the planet and for his incredible strength. “He hasn’t allowed anything to personally impact him,” said Shreyas Gopal regarding MI captain Hardik Pandya’s response to jeers and criticism.
