Indian T20 League 2022: Match 23 – Mumbai vs Punjab – Preview, Playing XIs, Pitch Report, Updates

Mumbai is all set to lock horns with Punjab in the 23rd match of the Indian T20 League on Wednesday. Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will host the match on the 13th of April. After playing four matches, Mumbai are yet to win a match in the season. They sit 9th on the points table. Punjab, on the flip side, has won two out of their four games this season. They are in 7th place on the points table.

Team Updates

Mumbai

The Mumbai team has been in this position before, where they have lost their initial matches and went on to qualify for the playoffs. However, this is a very risky situation to be in. They can never be certain of what their fate will be in the tournament after a few losses. Mumbai would want to get their first points of the season in their next match so that they still can be in a better position.

Mumbai has lacked in batting and bowling this season. They have had a few good innings with the bat, but not enough to win them matches. Suryakumar Yadav has played only two matches for them this season, but he is their most consistent player. He has had two half-centuries in two matches. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma will have to play a more attacking game at the start of the innings.

Players to watch out for

Suryakumar Yadav- Suryakumar Yadav has looked in exceptional form since he joined the team. He has a strike rate of 164 in the season already and would like to maintain that. However, he would expect more assistance from other batters in this match.

Tilak Varma- Mumbai is known for their scouting system. Tilak Verma is their new start in the making. He has played some good knocks to guarantee a place in the next game. He has scored 121 runs in the four matches at a strike rate of 155. Varma will look to continue his good form.

Probable Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen, Murugan Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat, Jasprit Bumrah, Basil Thampi

Punjab

Punjab have had a complete changeover in their squad, but their intent has been the same. They have won two games, but they have not looked dominant this season. They will have to play a more attacking game in the next match to have the upper hand. Punjab have the players that can do that. Players like Shikar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow will have to do the job with the bat, and Kagiso Rabada will have to do the job with the ball.

The team captain, Mayank Agarwal, has not been playing at his best this season. He has scored just 42 runs in the four matches so far. He will have to take a bigger responsibility to give the team a good start in the next match. Dhawan and Agarwal can give Punjab the start they need.

Players to watch out for

Liam Livingstone- Liam Livingstone has been in a fantastic form for this season. He has scored 162 runs in four matches, with a massive strike rate of 190. The English all-rounder has been handy with the ball too, picking two wickets in 5.3 overs.

Shikhar Dhawan- Shikhar Dhawan has been able to give Punjab decent starts, but he has not been able to convert them into bigger scores. He would look forward to scoring more in the game against Mumbai.

Probable Playing XI

Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh

Head to Head

Pitch Report

The wicket at the MCA Stadium has had the highest average speed and highest average bounce this season. The batters will have some difficulty settling in as there is also some swing on offer. The team winning the toss would want to bowl first.

Match Details

Date- 13th April 2022

Time- 7:30 p.m (IST)

Venue- Maharashtra Cricket Association, Pune

Broadcast- Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar