IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians' strongest playing XI against the Kings XI Punjab
Mumbai Indians will take on the Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium on the 10th of April. Both teams come into this match on the back of wins as MI defeated the Sun Risers Hyderabad in a low scoring battle, while KXIP also beat SRH.
Mumbai Indians seem to have finally found the right combination in terms of their team selection, but there are still certain things Rohit Sharma would want to strengthen, starting with the batting of his team. MI's lower-middle order is firing but their top order has flattered to deceive.
So, keeping all that in mind here is the strongest MI XI to face KXIP:
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock
Rohit and Quinton de Kock started the tournament very well and they were giving MI consistent starts at the top but that hasn't been the case in the last two matches.
Rohit, in particular, has been getting starts before throwing his wicket away. Both De Kock and the skipper will be looking to get back in form and provide solid starts at the top for the three-time IPL champions.
Middle Order: Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Kieron Pollard
Suryakumar Yadav has looked in brilliant touch with the bat so far but he also has the tendency of throwing his wicket away and that is something he would be looking to rectify against KXIP.
Ishan Kishan replaced Yuvraj Singh in MI's last match against SRH and he looked good during his stay at the crease, and with a better batting wicket on offer at the Wankhede, the young man would be looking to get his first big score of this year's IPL.
Kieron Pollard has been brilliant for the last two matches for MI and it was his match-winning performance with the bat that won MI the game against SRH. The big West Indian will be looking forward to the match against KXIP and he has traditionally done very well against them.
All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya
The Pandya brothers have been in top form this year and they have been producing the goods for MI both with the bat and the ball. Hardik has been striking the ball sweetly and has also significantly improved his bowling.
While Krunal hasn't had a great year with the bat but his economical spells in the middle overs for MI have been of significant importance. These two will be looking to continue their great form against KXIP.
Bowlers: Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff, and Alzarri Joseph
MI's bowling line-up was brilliant against SRH as they defended a low score 136 in front of a brilliant batting unit. Joseph was the star of the show as he picked up the best figures (6-12) in the history of the IPL on his debut.
The lanky West Indian along with Behrendorff and Bumrah form a formidable pace battery, and against an in-form KXIP batting unit, they would be looking to provide some early breakthroughs.
Rahul Chahar was also terrific against SRH, picking up two important wickets for MI and the young leg spinner would be looking forward to keeping his consistency level up.
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