IPL 2018: Match 34, Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians – Expectation vs Reality

A clash between the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday (May 4) will see two teams from different ends of the points table lock horns in a fierce battle. While KXIP are in the third position of the Indian Premier League (IPL) rankings table, MI are just one step away from being completely down and out. The match will be held in KXIP’s second home ground, Holkar Stadium, Indore.

A trend that’s been started the previous season owing to fears of lack of support from the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), KXIP will find themselves playing their next three home matches at Indore. In 2017, this turned out to be quite the lucky charm for the Preity Zinta-owned franchise, considering they won 2 out of their 3 games scheduled at the venue resoundingly. The Mumbai side can also take heart from the last encounter they had on the ground in the 2017 IPL, which they ended up winning by 8 wickets.

Going by the last year’s outings at the Holkar Stadium, the team batting second can be expected to have a huge advantage. A wicket that remains moist in the first innings and dries up under the lights in the second spells out doom for the team batting first, as they have to figure out the workings of a two-paced pitch. For the second innings, the track usually transforms into a flat turf, allowing the batsmen to play freely and making it difficult to defend any first innings total, no matter how high.

Let’s take a sneak peek at what we’re expecting from this high-octane encounter while we for the reality to unfold.

Hardik Pandya stealing the show

Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya played superbly in their last match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) but was unable to pull his team over the finish line. Pandya scored 50 runs off 42 balls comprising 5 boundaries and a maximum and looked quite threatening before being dismissed Tim Southee. In the first innings, Pandya was equally impressive with the ball as he scalped 3 wickets in 3 overs and conceded 28 runs.

The wiry 24-year-old has proved to be a value for money player for both the national side and the Mumbai team over the last few years. Given that MI are at an all-win situation so much so that each game hereon will be a virtual knockout for them, Pandya can be expected to step on the gas pedal to score some quick runs for the team and also dismiss the crucial opposition batsmen like KL Rahul and Chris Gayle.

Chris Gayle adding light to the fuel

The ‘Universe Boss’ has been in exquisite touch in the ongoing season of the IPL. Be it blistering centuries or sensible knocks constructed by rotating singles, Chris Gayle has turned out to be a massive asset for the KXIP and they’re already in the top half of the points table. To ensure that they stay firm in their position of power and can look to proceed from there, Gayle will have to put on his scoring shoes and hit quite a few of the deliveries out of the park in his usual hard-hitting style.

Generally, KXIP’s strength has been their batting in IPL 2018. With the likes of KL Rahul and Gayle hitting the ball, they cannot afford the unceremonious batting collapse that they had against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their last match where they were dismissed for a paltry 119 runs while chasing down a target of 133. Gayle was able to score only 23 runs in that particular encounter. However, his ability to switch gears after a disappointing knock and come out onto the field all guns blazing is something we’ve witnessed time and again.To bring fruition to their plans of victory, KXIP will definitely be hoping for some Gayle magic on Friday.

Here’s the reality right after the match..

Gayle assault fails to make an impact

Chris Gayle, as expected, scored a half-century but he took 40 balls for the same and was dismissed soon after that. The assault was only brief when he launched a couple of sixes. But once his wicket was fallen, Mumbai bowlers tightened things nicely to restrict their opponents to 152 runs in 19 overs.

But the dreadful last over from Hardik Pandya proved to be a huge blow for them as he conceded 22 runs thanks to Marcus Stoinis. He was smacked for 2 sixes and the same number of fours which handed over the momentum to the home side at the halfway stage.

Krunal and Rohit overcome the scare

Like winning, losing is also a habit and the defending champions had to come out of it badly. It was visible through their approach in the chase, as they were afraid to accelerate early in the innings which kept the required run-rate soaring over all the time. But the duo of Krunal Pandya and skipper Rohit Sharma came to the fore at the right time for them who won the game for them.

The partnership of 56* runs off just 21 balls saved them from being eliminated from the tournament and climbed to the fifth position in the points table. Punjab didn’t bowl well at the death and they paid for the same.

For all the latest cricket news and other updates follow CricTracker.