IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians v Punjab Kingsls – Preview and Prediction. Every match of the IPL we will provide betting tips. Also, have a listen to the below
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Betting Preview
Time is running out for both sides. Mumbai Indians have lost three on the bounce and need to win every single game to get to 16 points, largely considered a safe zone. Punjab Kings are also on the same boat, but with the confidence of having notched up a tight win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a low-scoring contest in Sharjah two nights ago.
Unsurprisingly, there’s only one Mumbai batter in the top-15 top-scorers of the season so far – Rohit Sharma (326, Avg. 36.22). The struggles are evident in the bowling section too with leg-spinner Rahul Chahar failing to ‘turn up in the UAE (11-0-89-1) after scorching the Indian leg with 11 wickets in seven matches.
Punjab have actually won their last two matches against Mumbai and now have a chance to make it only the second time that either team has won three H2Hs in a row after Punjab also achieved the feat in the first three H2Hs. However, inconsistency has been Punjab’s middle-name this season with the Kings yet to win back-to-back matches. On the flip side, Punjab’s matches have been gold dust for neutrals with three of their ten matches going to the last ball.
The Kings will take some confidence from their 126-run defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad last time around, which was their second-lowest successfully defended target. With the unheralded Harpreet Brar (ER 5.71) and Arshdeep Singh (SR 12.15) consistently proving their worth, Punjab have at least one of their bases covered. This should be an intriguing battle but Mumbai should have more than enough to win this match.
Stat Attack
Mumbai would be keen to lose the toss considering they have won seven of ten such matches against Punjab.
Mumbai have lost the most wickets in the overs 16-20 period (3.60 per innings), whilst taking the equal fewest (2.00 per innings) when bowling.
Punjab have posted the highest opening partnership of the match in four of their last six matches, with one more ending as a tie.
Punjab’s powerplay batting run rate of 6.72 is the worst among all sides in 2021.
Aiden Markram’s score of 27 in Punjab’s last match was the joint-lowest highest individual score coming in a win when batting first.
Players To Watch
Kieron Pollard has a strike rate of 163.69 against Punjab with the batsman smashing 19 sixes in his last four H2Hs. Consistent on similar lines on the scoring front, KL Rahul enjoys playing against Mumbai with his last six innings against them reading: 94, 71, 100, 17, 77, and 60* (latest), including two straight ‘man of the match’ awards.