Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Match 36: MI vs KXIP Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs KXIP Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab Key Players | Dubai Pitch Report

The ultimate battle of the sublime vs. ridiculous. Mumbai Indians, currently second, are on a five-match winning streak, impressive in defending and chasing scores in equal measure. There is an argument to suggest they are playing even better than in 2019, as their lowest margin of victory when batting first is a significant 34 runs. Rohit Sharma’s men look hungry and clinical in their quest of a fifth IPL Title, and will be out to continue the momentum.

On the other end of the spectrum, Kings XI Punjab have consistently thrown victories away. Also, in their last win, vs RCB, they nearly blew an equation of four to win off the last two overs, showcasing just how brittle their confidence is currently. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal still lead the tournament with the bat, but KXIP’s death bowling (econ. 13.80) remains a serious issue, as does holding their nerve in key moments. So, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, can they pull one out of the hat today?

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Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• KL Rahul leads the Orange Cap race by a significant margin (66 runs in front of second place), but his ability to score freely for an extended period of time will be key.
• He is capable. Rahul has an excellent record for KXIP vs MI (5 inns, 306 runs, avg. 102, SR 139.09).
• Mayank Agarwal has had a superb tournament to date (382 runs, avg. 47.45, SR 161.18). If he can get off to a quick start, it takes the pressure off Rahul and gives KXIP the chance to build.
• Quinton de Kock has hit a purple patch of form, after a slow start to IPL 2020. In his last four innings, de Kock has struck 221 runs with three half-centuries. Can he bounce back vs KXIP after getting out for 0 against them earlier this season?
• Rohit Sharma hit 70 against KXIP earlier this season. However, his pattern of scoring has been up-and-down in recent games (70, 6, 35, 5 and 35). So, is a low score coming today?
• Rohit’s overall record vs KXIP: 17 inns, 414 runs, avg. 27.60, SR 132.69.
• Suryakumar Yadav has been superb in recent games (two fifties in last three games). However, can he improve his overall record vs KXIP? (11 inns, 228 runs, avg. 22.80).
• Chris Gayle returned to competitive cricket in style last game (53). Gayle does have an excellent record vs MI (17 inns, 640 runs, avg. 42.67, SR 135.02). What could also work in Gayle’s favour is that MI’s spinners will mostly turn the ball into him.
• Hardik Pandya is playing as a batsman, and has shown promising signs in recent matches. He smashed 30* (11) vs KXIP earlier this season. Pandya’s last five matches (30*, 28, 30*, 0, 21*).
• Kieron Pollard enjoys playing KXIP. He smashed 47* off 20 balls against them earlier this season, and will be dangerous if he faces KXIP’s struggling death bowling today. His overall record vs KXIP: 19 inns, 464 runs, avg. 35.69, SR 160.00.
• Jasprit Bumrah took 2/18 vs KXIP earlier this season, part of 14 wickets in 11 games against them overall. Also, Bumrah is third in the 2020 Purple Cap race with 12 wickets. Trent Boult also has 12.
• Mohammed Shami has six wickets in three games for KXIP vs MI. Also, like Boult and Bumrah, Shami has 12 wickets in IPL 2020.
• Ravi Bishnoi vs Rahul Chahar will be a key battle. Bishnoi has taken seven wickets in four games at Dubai this year. Chahar took 2/26 vs KXIP earlier this year.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 25, MI 14, KXIP 11.
• Mumbai Indians have won four of their five games vs Kings XI Punjab.
• MI have used just 13 players in IPL 2020 (least) compared to 20 for KXIP (most).
• Jasprit Bumrah to Glenn Maxwell? The pace bowler has dismissed Maxwell six times in 12 innings, giving away just 67 runs in 57 balls.
• Could MI look at bowling spin early? KL Rahul averages 33 against spin at Dubai, with a strike rate of just 97. For Mayank Agarwal, these numbers are 18.5 and 106 respectively.
• Kieron Pollard has not been dismissed since the first game of the season vs CSK.

Possible Playing 11

Nathan Coulter-Nile came in for James Pattinson last game. NCN was expensive (1/51), but should be given another chance today.

Mumbai Indians: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Quinton de Kock (wk), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Ishan Kishan, 5. Hardik Pandya, 6. Kieron Pollard, 7. Krunal Pandya, 8. Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9. Trent Boult, 10. Rahul Chahar, 11. Jasprit Bumrah

KXIP won last game vs RCB, so they could stick with the same combination.

Kings XI Punjab: 1. KL Rahul (c & wk), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Nicholas Pooran, 5. Glenn Maxwell, 6. Deepak Hooda, 7. Chris Jordan, 8. M Ashwin, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Mohammed Shami, 11. Arshdeep Singh

Dubai Pitch and Weather Report

The average first innings score at Dubai in IPL 2020 is 176. The team batting first has won 12 of 15 matches on this ground this season. However, dew could be more prominent as the weather begins to cool a little, which could make chasing a bit easier.

Dream11 Prediction

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Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Kings XI Punjab are capable of playing great cricket, but they lack the mental strength at key stages. Mumbai Indians are more than good enough to pounce on these moments, which makes them look good for a win.

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