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Indian Premier League 2021
IPL 2021: PBKS vs MI – Key matchups to watch out for
Both teams will look to gain an upper hand as they get closer in a tough battle for the final play-off spot
![Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma [Source: MI]](https://thebridge.in/h-upload/2021/09/23/15811-mumbai-indians-captain-rohit-sharma-source-mi.webp "Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma [Source: MI]")
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma [Source: MI]
The Mumbai Indians come into the game after losing three consecutive matches. They will be looking to seek redemption and find form as they enter a crucial juncture in the tournament. There has been too much pressure on the captain Rohit Sharma and batters such as Quinton de Kock and Kieron Pollard to score big due to the slump in the form of go-to batters such as Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, and Mumbai will be looking to change this. The bowling unit will be raring to go after a couple of dismal starts, setting this up to be a mouth-watering battle.
The Punjab Kings are almost in a similar territory as they too come into the game after losing three matches in a row. Captain KL Rahul will be looking to break that streak and hopefully will get the right amount of support from players such as Chris Gayle and Aiden Markram, who are yet to get going. This game is set up perfectly for the 'Universal Boss' Gayle to unleash his talents as he goes up against a solid Mumbai Indians bowling unit.
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium has seen some big scores being a batting-friendly pitch, expect more of the same today as the highly talented batters in both sides look to assert their dominance.
Keeping these factors in mind, here are the top matchups for Mumbai vs Punjab-
1) Jasprit Bumrah vs KL Rahul
Mumbai will look to set Bumrah loose as he takes on in-form Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul. The latter will look to attack from the jump while Bumrah has the capability to bounce back and use his devastating bowling arsenal to make life hard for Rahul. Look out for this matchup, as it might be the one that seals the fate of either team.
2) Krunal Pandya vs Chris Gayle
Look out for the Universal Boss this game as it sets itself up to be a perfect Chris Gayle affair. The Caribbean comes into this game, not in good form and will look to change that against Mumbai as he tries to regain his touch in the knick of time. Krunal Pandya will be tasked with a couple of crucial overs, which could see both going head to head.
3) Mohammed Shami vs Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma will look to get off to an aggressive start and consolidate his innings early. Meanwhile, Shami will look to knock off Sharma early while looking to grab crucial wickets against a top-class Mumbai Indians batting lineup. This matchup has the capability of setting fireworks off.
4) Arshdeep Singh vs Quinton de Kock
Arshdeep Singh will be looking to prove that his devastating spell in the previous game was not a one-off as he goes up against a deep Mumbai Indians batting unit. Quinton de Kock comes into the game in good form after a disappointing start and will look to continue that streak with a bigger inning in a crucial match.
5) Mayank Agarwal vs Trent Boult
Mayank Agarwal will be raring to go and usually comes up with the goods in a high-pressure match such as this. However, Trent Boult will be out to make sure that does not happen as the speedster will look to grab early wickets and pile the pressure on Punjab's batting unit. This is a cracking matchup that is bound to be the most entertaining one of the lot.
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