Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will play the 13th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Thursday (October 1) at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
KXIP and MI have overall played 24 matches in past editions of IPL. Out of which, MI had an upper hand, winning 13 matches. KXIP have won 11 matches.
In the ongoing IPL 2020, Kings XI Punjab have played three matches but have won only one and are at number four position in the points table. Similarly, MI have also played three matches but have won only one. Both the teams are strong and the match will be highly competitive between the two in Abu Dhabi.
On that note, let’s take a look at Kings XI Punjab predicted XI against Mumbai Indians:
1.KL Rahul:
The KXIP captain KL Rahul is in the best form of his career. In the last two matches, he has given an outstanding start to the team. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he played aggressive innings, scoring unbeaten 132 runs. And in the process, Rahul also registered the highest ever score by the IPL captain.
In the last match against Rajasthan Royals, Rahul anchored the innings while supporting the opener Mayank Agarwal to play big shots. So far, with his performances, the Indian cricketer had shown his versatility to play any role required by the team. To face the Mumbai Indians bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, James Pattinson and Trent Boult, KL Rahul’s role will be decisive for their win.
2.Mayank Agarwal:
Mayank Agarwal has already proven that he is an indispensable player of Kings XI Punjab. In the opener match against Delhi Capitals, he played a sensible knock and brought back his team, scoring 89 runs off 60 balls.
Similarly, the right-hand batsman amassed 106 runs off 50 balls, striking 10 fours and seven sixes, against Rajasthan Royals. But unfortunately, Mayank’s knock could not end up in winning cause. However, he is going to be an integral part of KXIP win in the tournament.
3.Karun Nair:
The opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul has not given many opportunities to Karun Nari to bat although he has been in the playing XI in the last three matches. Against RCB, he faced only eight balls and remained unbeaten for 15 runs. He had also struck two boundaries showing his skills that he can deliver when his teams require.
4. Nicholas Pooran:
Nicholas Pooran has given decent performances. He has scored 17 and 25* in the last two matches respectively. Besides his power-hitting, Pooran’s fielding is also an asset to the team. He had shown his athleticism in the match against Rajasthan Royals. The windies stretched his body fully near the boundary rope and saved five runs for his team.
5.Glenn Maxwell:
KXIP bought Glenn Maxwell to solve their middle-order problem but the Australian cricketer is yet to deliver that expected innings. He has scored 1, 5, 13* runs against DC, RCB, RR respectively.
As of now, the KXIP openers have helped the team to score high totals. But, in the future, there can be occasions when the opening partnership might not last long, then Maxwell will play a key role.
6. Sarfaraz Khan:
Sarfaraz Khan is also another power hitter in the Kings XI Punjab team but he has not got enough chances so far in the tournament. He is highly talented and he has it in him to get that one big knock which will pitchfork him into prominence.
7. Jimmy Neesham:
The allrounder Jimmy Neesham is playing the first season for the Punjab-based franchise. He was not included in the first match but got the place in playing XI against RCB and RR.
The New Zealander has not got the chance to bat but with the ball, he has picked the prized wicket of RR captain Steven Smith. The franchise would go with allrounder in the match against MI.
8. Murugan Ashwin:
Murugan Ashwin, a leg-break bowler, has scalped four wickets in the last two matches. Against RCB, he picked the crucial wicket of AB de Villiers to guide KXIP to victory. In the last match against RR, he got two overs to bowl and picked one wicket. The 30-year-old’s googly has been his lethal weapon to dismantle the opposition.
9. Mohammed Shami:
Mohammed Shami, undoubtedly, will play the fourth match for Kings XI Punjab against MI. His pace, accuracy and primarily his skill in moving the ball – both old and new have given him success in this T20 league.
The 30-year-old has snared seven wickets in the last three matches while also being economical. To dismiss the likes of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard, Shami’s bowling attack will be the answer.
10. Sheldon Cottrell:
The West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell, who is playing the first season for Kings XI Punjab, was having the best time in the field until Rahul Tewatia beat him for consecutive sixes in the last match. Tewaitia had struck five sixes off his six balls. It would have been a nightmare for him.
However, in that match, he had also picked up the crucial wicket of Jos Buttler. Also, in the previous match against RCB and DC, he had picked two wickets in each match. So, the captain will back him against MI.
11. Ravi Bishnoi:
Ravi Bishnoi, the young talent, has proven that he deserves the place in the playing XI of Kings XI Punjab. Although against RR, he could not open his account, however, he has picked four wickets in total. It would be interesting to see him playing against the world-class MI batters.