In the 33rd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will host Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, tonight, i.e., April 18, at 7:30 PM IST.
It’s a clash between the seventh and eighth teams in the standing, with only decimals being the difference between the two in the net run rate. PBKS lost their last match at the very venue to the table toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) by three wickets, however, the Kings will back themselves to have a better chance tonight to grab two points. While it remains unclear if Shikhar Dhawan will return, less experienced Indian batters such as Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma will have a lot to show with the bat. Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh have been reliable performers, but star players Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone will all have an important part. Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, and Harshal Patel will undoubtedly play important roles in limiting MI batters’ threats.
The visitors are also coming to this game with a defeat at home, having lost to mighty Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 20 runs. While former skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a century and Ishan Kishan also did well at the start, the unit failed miserably in the middle overs which costed them two points. Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya will have a point to prove and with them, Tim David will also have to justify his selection. Captaincy is another source of concern for the five-time IPL winners, as doubts have been made about the use of Jasprit Bumrah’s overs. MI utilised seven bowlers in the encounter but failed to use much spin bowling. Tonight, it will be intriguing to witness how Hardik employs his weaponry against top PBKS batters.
Head-to-Head:
Both teams have played 31 games against each other in the IPL, with MI winning 16 and PBKS winning 15. In their previous game, which was played last season, MI won by six wickets.
Where-to-Watch:
OTT: JioCinema