Punjab Kings will hope for a campaign revival at home against a wobbly Mumbai
Punjab Kings will look to make the most of home comforts when it meets Mumbai Indians in its third consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.
Despite coming o two straight defeats, Kings will fancy a campaign revival against the Hardik Pandyaled side that nds itself in a bind, both on and o the eld, not least after succumbing to a 20-run loss to Chennai Super Kings at home.
Mumbai showed signs of having moved on from the controversial captaincy switch after notching back-to-back wins against Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Former skipper Rohit Sharma’s blazing starts in the PowerPlay with Ishan Kishan were instrumental in both victories, though his sublime unbeaten hundred went in vain against CSK.
Still, that its top seven batters have been striking in excess of 140 this season will give Mumbai hope.
On the other hand, Punjab will fret over the woeful form of its top order and that its top scorer and captain Shikhar Dhawan is still nursing a shoulder injury will only add to the host’s worries.
Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have admirably propped up the batting from lower-order positions and Kings would do well to give them a promotion.
Punjab has a wellrounded bowling attack, and with Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and standin skipper Sam Curran nding their feet, Mumbai’s power-packed line-up will have its task cut out.
But a certain Jasprit Bumrah, armed with a pitch that has seen the new ball jag around and keep low at times, could exacerbate Punjab’s batting vulnerabilities and prove decisive.