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MIvPBKS Preview: Hat-trick done, time to do a Malinga, WWWW

By Mumbai Indians

Outdoor plans over the weekend? Drop them, and head over to the Wankhede. The Punjab Kings are here, and we are on a roll. Also, a small surprise, someone’s turning 50, and we have an advance birthday party ready!

Statistically, the MI-PBKS head-to-head record, in favour of us by a whisker, literally. 29 matches played, 15 won, 14 lost. Do you know what else was narrow? The fine line of emotions as these two teams clash at the Wankhede. Save your nails.

Remember 2019? ‘LLord’ Kieron Pollard’s 31-ball 83 overpowered KL Rahul’s unbeaten 100, laid the foundation for MI to chase 133 in 10 overs with 16 runs per over while at the crease. No wonder he is our legend, our leader and now our batting coach.

Three wins on the trot, check. It’s time to grab the momentum by its neck. Punjab, meanwhile, are hurting off a loss in their last game against RCB. Get ready Paltan, this is getting red hot! So Paltan, our 12th man, ARE YOU READY?

What: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings

When: Saturday, April 22 2023

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

What to expect: Yes, to reiterate, a surprise. It may or may not involve a cake. But serious cricketing action. Lots of drama. Rohit vs Arshdeep. And of course, the thrills and tribulations of MIvPBKS.

What you need to do: The usual agenda! The MI jerseys, the MI face paint, the prayers, the pulse meters and yourself. Bring them to the Wankhede (real or virtual) and show shout your love for our Fa-MI-ly.

What they said: “I think the team's gelling together really nicely at the moment. Everyone has had an impact in each of the games so far, so that's a very exciting thing for us. All the guys are getting some quality game time, the consistency and communication within the team is starting to get really good. The main thing is that we just keep getting better each game and build on that momentum.” - Jason Behrendorff on the synergy within the MI team.

“I think the Impact Player rule is a great opportunity to give others game time. It all comes down to the substitution. There must be really good communication between the management and the players, and if everyone is on the same page, it can work quite well.” - Behrendorff opined on his assessment of the Impact Player rule in the IPL.

Stat check

Teams

Matches played (overall)

Won

Lost

Tied

No result

MI

29

15

14

0

0

PBKS

29

14

15

0

0

Teams

Highest run-getter in the MI-PBKS rivalry

Highest wicket-taker in the MI-PBKS rivalry

MI

Kieron Pollard: 539 runs in 24 matches

Lasith Malinga: 22 wickets in 14 matches

PBKS

Shaun Marsh: 526 runs in 12 matches

Piyush Chawla: 15 wickets in 11 matches

Paltan, your favourite boys are back in the city! Get on your Blue and Gold, practice those chants, spam our channels with your messages. It’s time for WWWW.