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MI, PBKS lock horns with an uphill task at hand

By Mumbai Indians

The Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings will play their 11th game of the tournament, the second against each other, on Tuesday, 28th September 2021. The teams sit in a similar position, separated only by a net run rate factor, and both have an uphill task at hand as far as the playoffs are concerned.

Ahead of the match, here are some points to note that will set some context for the magnitude of the upcoming encounter.

MI openers need support

Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock have given MI great starts in the two games that they’ve partnered together in. Against KKR, the duo put up a 78-run stand in less than 10 overs and in the recent game against RCB, the duo shared a 57-run partnership to open the innings.

However, after their dismissal, there has been barely anybody taking over the responsibility of bringing the team to a necessary total.

Both teams stand at a similar place

Both teams currently have eight points each and have a chance at a top four finish. Naturally, the team that wins this encounter will have a higher possibility of landing that finish than the other. PBKS is at the fifth position with -0.271 NRR, while MI is at the seventh, with -0.551.

Both teams will need to win at least three out of four games to stand a chance to end up in the top four.

PBKS seem to have found balance

After a loss where PBKS couldn’t score four off the last over, PBKS seemed to have finally presented a stable winning combination in their last game, against SRH, where they edged out the team by five runs to bring their first win of IPL 2021’s return. They will look to continue that momentum.

Head-to-head record

MI and Punjab have been involved in 27 games against each other. The contest between the two teams has been a closely fought one, with MI winning 14 of them as opposed to Punjab’s 13. The teams have been a part of some thrilling encounters before, and entertainment has ensued every time MI and Punjab have faced off.

Previous encounters between the teams

The last time the two teams met was earlier in April in a low scoring encounter. PBKS had gotten the better of MI, chasing down a target of 132 in 17.4 overs and winning by nine wickets.

Last year when the teams met at UAE, MI had first won their initial game by 48 runs. It was followed by the first ever double super over game in T20 history, which Punjab won by a whisker.

The teams meet at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to shoot their best shot at a spot in the playoffs. Tune in to the game at 7.30 PM IST.