Sachin Tendulkar will play a balanced and stable innings for Mumbai Indians against Kings XI Punjab © AFP
Tarot reader Shruti Chopra looks into her cards to give CricketCountry.com readers exclusive insights into what lies ahead in the IPL matches. In the below piece, she dwells into the Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab game - the first of the two IPL matches on Sunday.
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Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians are high on energy and are eager to unleash themselves on the opposition. Instead, with the Ten of Swords coming up, it seems more important that they put together concrete game plans. They have the right support-staff and coach guiding them through to becoming a stronger team. During this game, despite the initial uncertainties, they will come back on track and be able to build their confidence to have a good all-round performance with the ball and bat. They will need to concentrate harder on their fielding, as they may make some elementary mistakes.
Harbhajan Singh should have a good day with the ball. He will bowl economically and do well in partnerships. As a captain, he will be proactive and make important changes to capitalise on some crucial chances. The Five of Swords recommends that he sticks to pre-decided strategies.
Key players
Sachin Tendulkar will play a balanced and stable innings. Well supported by the Temperance and the Seven of Wands, he will be able to provide the team with much needed mental support and guide them with his inputs, allowing them to stay on top of their game.
Ambati Rayudu will start off well and should provide a stable innings.
Kieron Pollard is like the Magician today. In command and in total control, but unfortunately, he is not being well supported by the other cards of Ten of Wands and Five of Swords. Therefore he will need to use his resources well, and the Magician's willpower to overcome some sticky moments.
Munaf Patel will be strong, well planned, and highly motivated to take on the opposition. He should prove to be an important player today.
Rohit Sharma is looking under confident with his plans and will need guidance in directing his aggression towards success.
Dinesh Karthik will be well balanced and would have the potential to score some important runs for the team.
Kings XI Punjab
The Kings XI are caught up with many issues. They have all the right plans and carry a strong resolve within the team, so it will be important for them to put this together and deliver today. The cards support them well in this endeavour. With the Six of Wands, Judgment and the Death card, they have the ability to push their potential and reach out for success.
David Hussey, as a batsman will also carry a lot of responsibility, and like the King of Pentacles, he will be able to do this with confidence. He will score some very important runs today. In his captaincy, he will find it stressful and may not make the required changes quick enough.
Key players
Piyush Chawla will be carefree, but successful. He is aware of his responsibilities and will be able to match expectations.
Harmeet Singh is looking strong and in control. He will have the ability to channelise his focus well enough to dominate.
Mandeep Singh is fighter. He will look to implement new ideas with success. It will be important for him to remember that he does have some limitations, and pushing too hard may cause unnecessary stresses.
Azhar Mahmood is looking a little nervous, which he should get over quite quickly. He will become more aggressive with his batting and bowling.
Shaun Marsh is like the Hierophant – balanced, well directed and will work hard in playing a strong game. He should have a good day.
Dimitri Mascarenhas will be able to play an all-rounder's role today. He will have the responsibility to help guide the team, which he should manage.
Paras Dogra, if played, will play for the team's cause. He will be unselfish and like the Four of Pentacles, he will build a lot of stability in his innings.
Who has the advantage?
This should be a fight in which neither side can get complacent, but I would go with Mumbai Indians holding advantage.
(London-born Shruti Chopra was introduced to cricket by her two older brothers. She spent some of her childhood time in Delhi and became an Indian cricket fan. She has remained an unflinching and passionate Indian cricket fan even after moving back to London, setting 3.00 am alarms to watch India play Test matches. It was during the 2011 World Cup that she brought together her passion for cricket with her profession of Tarot Reading, looking at the cards in the hope of spotting an India win coming through - which it did! You can know more about Shruti via Facebook, Twitter and her website)
