With only a decimal point separating them in the IPL standings, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians will be desperate to pick up crucial points when they face off on Thursday. Both teams are coming off narrow defeats and find themselves in the bottom half of the table.
While the two sides have their differences, there are some striking similarities as well. Both possess a standout pacer – Jasprit Bumrah for MI and Kagiso Rabada for PBKS – who have struggled to find consistent support at the other end. The teams also rely heavily on their experienced opening pairs to provide blazing starts, with Rohit Sharma-Ishan Kishan for MI and the injured Shikhar Dhawan-Jonny Bairstow for PBKS.
However, the challenge for the visitors will be adapting to the conditions at the Mullanpur stadium, which has been the lowest scoring venue in the PowerPlay overs this season. This could put added pressure on MI’s in-form openers to get their team off to a flyer, especially with captain Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav struggling for form.
On the other hand, PBKS will be hoping their young top-order can finally come to the party and provide the platform for the finishers to flourish. With Dhawan ruled out, the onus will be on Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma to lay the foundation. Both teams will be desperate to turn their fortunes around and kickstart their campaigns before it’s too late.
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