"Mumbai should win" - Aakash Chopra picks Mumbai Indians as overwhelming favorites in IPL 2023 clash against Punjab Kings
Aakash Chopra has picked the Mumbai Indians (MI) as overwhelming favorites heading into their IPL 2023 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The two sides will lock horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the evening game on Saturday, April 22. Both sides have garnered six points thus far, with the Mumbai Indians having a better net run rate and the Punjab Kings having played an extra game as well.
While previewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the Mumbai Indians should put it across the Punjab Kings, reasoning:
"I am going right in favor of Mumbai because the team is looking more solid as compared to Punjab. If you do a match-up between both teams, it seems the scale is heavily tilted towards Mumbai. So Mumbai should win."
The former Indian opener pointed out that the five-time Indian Premier League champions have a formidable batting lineup, elaborating:
"Mumbai have found the right recipe with regards to their batting. Rohit Sharma should score a few more runs. Ishan Kishan is having a good time now. Make Cameron Green bat at No. 3. Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David - they have the batting depth."
Chopra expects Jofra Archer to be in MI's starting XI if he is fit and available. He added that either Jason Behrendorff or Riley Meredith will have to make way for the England seamer in such a scenario.
"Batting is not a small but a huge problem" - Aakash Chopra on Punjab Kings' biggest concern
![Shikhar Dhawan missed the Punjab Kings' last two games due to a shoulder injury. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/16f3e-16821427385814-1920.jpg?w=500)
Speaking about the Punjab Kings, Aakash Chopra picked their batting as their Achilles heel, explaining:
"Batting is not a small but a huge problem. If Liam Livingstone doesn't come in form, Matthew Short doesn't score runs and Shikhar Dhawan doesn't play, this team looks extremely weak. Prabhsimran Singh is a hit and a miss in batting."
The former Kolkata Knight Riders player added that PBKS need Liam Livingstone and Matthew Short to fire with the bat, observing:
"They might drop Atharva Taide because he has been unable to score runs. Jitesh Sharma has finally played a good knock, scored 40-odd runs, and Shahrukh Khan comes too low in the batting order. Batting will have the might only if Liam Livingstone and Matthew Short score runs."
However, Chopra acknowledged that bowling is not an issue for PBKS. While observing that the visitors have decent seamers as well as spinners, the cricketer-turned-commentator urged them to play Kagiso Rabada instead of Nathan Ellis.