Published: May 02, 2015, 02:16 PM (IST)
Edited: May 02, 2015, 02:16 PM (IST)
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 35 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 at Mohali. This will be the first match for KXIP on their actual home turf and they will be eager to twist around their fortunes. Mumbai Indians in IPL 2015: Rohit Sharma’s men approach upcoming season with renewed vigour to regain lost glory
The story for the Mohali-based side hasn’t been one of glory so far, having won only two of their eight matches and as a result are lingering at the very bottom of the table. Look a little above them and you’ll find Mumbai Indians at the second last place as they have managed three victories in eight games. IPL 2015: CSK, KKR, RCB, KXIP, MI, RR, SRH, DD full team details in IPL 8
The match can be looked at as a fight for survival as a victory will help either team to climb up the ladder to make their way into the top four. The two sides have met earlier in the tournament, wherein KXIP beat MI in their backyard. Some confidence from that win will almost certainly permeate their style of play. Indian Premier League 2015 schedule: IPL 8 match time table with venue details
Mumbai Indians however have momentum on their side. In their previous four encounters, they’ve picked up three wins. The inclusion of Mitchell McClenaghan in the side means they’re not struggling as much for wickets anymore and the attack has shown palpable improvement. The batting has begun to click as unit better.
Being played at Mohali – considered one of the bounciest tracks in India – Mitchell Johnson will surely be considered. He hasn’t had a great season, which led to him being dropped from the previous game. However, if given a chance he may relish the bounce on offer.
The opening pair for KXIP has been a point of weakness and Virender Sehwag hasn’t fired at the top. KXIP will have to find a fix to the problem quick or there is only doom for them. They’ll want David Miller to continue performing well with the bat as he’s been one of their more consistent top order bats. IPL 2015: Mumbai Indians favourite against struggling Kings XI Punjab
Playing at their home-ground may rejuvenate KXIP and they may just about discover their spark. Mumbai Indians will have to produce anther all round performance to prevent this from occurring. The match promises to be a cracker.
Squads:
Kings XI Punjab: George Bailey (c), Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson, Murali Vijay, Shaun Marsh, Akshar Patel, Sandeep Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Manan Vohra, Thisara Perera, Rishi Dhawan, Anureet Singh, Karanveer Singh, Nikhil Naik, Parvinder Awana, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yogesh Golwalkar, Beuran Hendricks, Shivam Sharma, Shardul Thakur.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Lendl Simmons, Vinay Kumar,Corey Anderson, Aiden Blizzard, Jasprit Bumrah, Aditya Tare, Pawan Suyal, Mitchell McClenaghan, Marchant de Lange, Unmukt Chand, Aaron Finch, Parthiv Patel, Siddhesh Lad, Abhimanyu Mithun, Shreyas Gopal, Pragyan Ojha, Hardik Pandya, J Suchith, Akshay Wakhare, Nitish Rana.
Time: 16:00 local time | 10:30 GMT
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RDcric on Twitter)
