The Mumbai Indians (MI) will be facing Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 31st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Rohit Sharma and his men didn’t start the tournament well, but now have gained some momentum with three consecutive wins.
Punjab, on the other hand, has had a pretty inconsistent season so far, having played six matches, winning and losing three each. The absence of Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order has been a massive blow for them and they will hope that he regains his fitness for the game against MI.
ALSO READ: Match 31 (MI vs PBKS) – Playing XI And Fantasy XI Predictions
Mumbai Indians will want to make the most of their home advantage and try and make it four wins in a row. However, PBKS has often been the team that has found a way to register a win over MI at least once a season in the past few editions.
On that note, Let’s take a look at some of the match-ups that could potentially decide the result of the game:
#3 Tim David vs Sam Curran
Sam Curran was clobbered to all parts of the Wankhede stadium by former MI legend Kieron Pollard the last time he played at the venue. He will once again be bowling in slog overs to the hard-hitting Tim David. While David and Curran haven’t faced off against each other much, the left-arm has managed to dismiss the big-hitter once in the three balls. Tim David has managed to score just a solitary run in those three balls and will be determined to set the record straight if he gets the opportunity.
#2 Liam Livingstone vs Piyush Chawla
Although England star Liam Livingstone failed to do much for PBKS in the last game, his presence could make a massive difference against the Mumbai Indians. With the Wankhede Stadium known for assisting the batters, Livingstone may enjoy hitting through the line and may score big. However, the hosts do have a match-up for him in veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla.
The wrist-spinner has been doing well for Mumbai in IPL 2023 and could prove to be a threat to Livingstone. The England star has amassed 79 runs off 60 balls of leg-spin that he has faced in the IPL but has also been dismissed four times. This would certainly keep the hosts interested and Livingstone will try to set the record straight.
#1 Rohit Sharma vs Arshdeep Singh
Rohit Sharma has had issues while facing the southpaw pacers, especially when the ball is new and swinging. This could give Punjab a massive chance to get the big fish early. Arshdeep Singh conceded just five runs in the seven balls that he bowled to Rohit, dismissing him once. However, the MI skipper has also been a lot more proactive in the powerplay this season and will be keen to once again be ultra-aggressive and make the most of the powerplay overs.
