Mumbai Indians (MI) will be out to extend their five-match winning run while Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will be looking to secure their third win as the teams square off in Match 36 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Both the teams are coming into this game on the back of their eight-wicket wins. While MI beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the back of Quinton de Kock's 78-run blitz, KXIP managed to overcome the last-over drama to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In their first encounter in the IPL 2020, MI defeated KXIP by 48 runs following skipper Rohit Sharma's 70 and Kieron Pollard-Hardik Pandya blitz. KL Rahul and Co. will be eager to turn the table in their second clash of the season.
The Rohit Sharma-led unit will be looking to consolidate their position while KXIP, who are on the eighth position in the points table, will be targeting their second successive win.
Here are the players who could tip the balance of the match in their team's favour.
Weather Forecast
The average temperature should be around 33 degrees celsius. No rain is expected during the match. The low humidity means that the dew won't play much of a role in the match.
Pitch Report
The wicket at Dubai has can d wonders for pacers. It might get slow in the second inning, which means a chase might get difficult.
Toss Prediction
The toss is going to be very important in this match and we believe that the team that wins the toss might opt to bat first. Teams are now batting first because the pitch slows down while chasing. The team batting first should be seen as having a big advantage.
Stats and Facts
MI at this venue: Played 4, Won 3, Lost 1
KXIP at this venue: Played 5, Won 2, Lost 3
Approaching Milestones:
Rohit Sharma needs 21 runs to complete 4000 IPL runs for MI.
Quinton de Kock needs 1 dismissal to complete 50 IPL dismissals.
KL Rahul requires 4 sixes and 75 runs respectively to complete 100 IPL sixes and 2500 IPL runs.
Chris Gayle needs 89 runs to complete 1500 IPL runs for KXIP.
Likely XIs:
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
KXIP: KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
Players to Watch Out For:
MI: Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
KXIP: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
Match Odds:
MI: 1.80
KXIP: 2.00
SantaBanta's Winner Prediction: KXIPs
IPL 2020 Winner Live Odds
Mumbai Indians - 2.75
Delhi Capitals - 3.75
Royal Challengers Bangalore - 4.333
Chennai Super Kings - 8
Kolkata Knight Riders - 10
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 19
Rajasthan Royals - 29
Kings XI Punjab - 46
Match Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Time: 7:30 PM IST
TV: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP
