Kings XI Punjab have a tough task on their hands as they invite the high-flying Mumbai Indians in Indore on Thursday. The performance of the two teams have been diametrically opposite. Punjab have lost three on the trot and currently on the fifth spot in the table while Mumbai have won their last four matches and are third. Glenn Maxwell will hope that his team finally steps up against tough opposition.

Time: 8 pm

Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

TV: Sony Max, Sony Six, Sony ESPN and their HD channels

Advertisement

Results in 2016:

Played: 2

Punjab won: 1

Mumbai won: 1

Kings XI Punjab

  • After a bright start where they won their first two matches, Punjab seem to have relapsed to the problems of their last few seasons, losing three on the trot. Returning to Indore though will cheer them up as they won their first two matches in Indore.
  • David Miller’s form remains a serious problem. The big-hitting South African has scores of 30 not out, 28, 24 and 1 and really needs a big score. 
  • Manan Vohra almost took his team home against Hyderabad in an incredible knock under pressure. Punjab will hope that he can take the confidence from it and move on it. 

“We look at the whole Mumbai Indians team as a challenge.”

Mithun Manhas, Kings XI Punjab assistant coach

Squad: Glenn Maxwell (c), David Miller, Manan Vohra, Axar Patel, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Anureet Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Shaun Marsh, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Nikhil Naik, Mohit Sharma, Marcus Stoinis, KC Cariappa, Armaan Jaffer, Pardeep Sahu, Swapnil Singh, Hashim Amla, Varun Aaron, Eoin Morgan, Matt Henry, Rahul Tewatia, Martin Guptill, Darren Sammy, Rinku Singh, T Natarajan, Ishant Sharma.

Mumbai Indians

  • Nitish Rana’s great form has ensured that Mumbai Indians are on a roll, having won four out of their five matches. The 23-year-old is currently seventh on the Orange Cap table and is Mumbai’s top scorer.
  • Mumbai Indians have won four consecutive matches, but they have chased down the target all four times. The only time they batted first against Pune, they lost the match.
  • Mitchell McClenaghan is the only Mumbai player in the top 10 of the Purple Cap (seventh) but Mumbai’s bowling attack have performed in tandem through this season with Harbhajhan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga stepping up when required. 

“There have been a couple of games we have won that we probably shouldn’t have won and got over the line and that has to do with players putting up their hands up at key times.”

Advertisement

Shane Bond, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach

Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Gopal, Lendl Simmons, Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nitish Rana, Siddhesh Lad, Jagadeesha Suchith, Hardik Pandya, Jos Buttler, Tim Southee, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Punia, Saurabh Tiwary, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Johnson, Karn Sharma, Asela Gunaratne, Krishnappa Gowtham, Kulwant Khejroliya.