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Match Details

Date: 23 April 2021

Time: 7:30 pm (IST)

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

News Update: SportsTiger App

Preview

Punjab will face off Mumbai in match number 17 of the Indian Premier League in Chennai. While the defending champions have blown hot and cold so far in the competition and have two wins to their name in as many as four matches, Punjab find themselves at the bottom of the table with just one win and three defeats against their name. Both the teams will head into this contest on the back of a defeat and would look to come back on winning track with the KL Rahul-led side perhaps a bit more desperate to get those two points than the Blue and Gold Brigade who haven't yet pressed the panic button yet. A mouth-watering prospect it is then this Friday evening.

Weather Report

Pitch Report

Team News

Punjab

There are no known injury or availability concerns in the Punjab camp. However, they haven't got the desired results yet. While the ageing superstar Chris Gayle hasn't fired yet, nor has Nicholas Pooran done something significant. With the likes of Dawid Malan still waiting for their chance, it won't be a surprise to see them making a few changes again as they look for the perfect balance which can stitch a few wins together at this stage.

Mumbai

The problem for Mumbai has been the lack of form of Quinton de Kock and the struggle of their middle order especially Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. Moreover, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav too have been getting starts but haven't been able to make the most out of them. Despite the troubles, they are not expected to make too many changes as that's the way they like to go ahead with their campaign.

Key Players

Analysis

Among the wicketkeepers, KL Rahul is a definite pick in the fantasy team. Not only has he been donning the keeping gloves so far, he has also scored a few runs and will bat at the top of order. However, neither of Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran or Ishan Kishan have done enough to justify their selection but with De Kock set to open the batting and now having a fair bit of idea as to how the pitch is behaving, one can go ahead with him in the side.

From the batsmen, Rohit Sharma has looked great on the eye in all his innings so far but has found a way to get out in each one of his innings. Given his reputation of batting deep into the innings and the range of stroke he has, one can keep faith in the Hitman yet again. Suryakumar Yadav should also walk into the side, given his recent form and the fact that he will bat at number 3. From the Punjab Kings, adding Mayank Agarwal won't be a bad idea but the tricky selection could be Chris Gayle who hasn't lived up to his reputation yet, neither has Hardik Pandya. Their pick could be a bit of a high risk option and so will Shahrukh Khan's too as he bats too low down the order and wouldn't get that many balls unless, one is anticipating a Punjab batting collapse.

From the all-rounders, Deepak Hooda is almost a guaranteed pick as he has even moved up the batting order and rolls his arms over. Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandya are also great picks but if there's place for just one, maybe Pollard would make the cut. The top bowlers from Mumbai would be Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar while Arshdeep Singh has been impressive for Punjab.

Team 1

Team 2

Probable Playing XI:

Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle/Dawid Malan, Moises Henriques, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Fabian Allen, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav/Adam Milne, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

People's pick for Fantasy

Best 14:

Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan

Batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, Shahrukh Khan

All-rounders: Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda

Bowlers: Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah

Disclaimer: The fantasy tips and facts expressed within this article are personal opinion of the author. They do not reflect the views of SportsTiger. It is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.