Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey
IPL 2021 Match 42: MI vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | MI vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
If someone had told you that Mumbai Indians would be second from bottom after 10 games, you may have called them brave, for use of a kind word. Better yet, if someone told you that Mumbai, who have a number of T20 World Cup stars both from India and abroad, would lose their first three matches of the UAE leg in convincing fashion, you may have called them brave, too.
The defending champions are going through some rut. They have won just four out of 10 this season, including two unlikely victories against CSK and KKR back in the first leg of the tournament. The form of their batsmen beyond their openers – particularly the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan – is cause for concern, as it is Mumbai’s middle order that has been their pillar of strength over the past couple of seasons.
However, incredibly, Mumbai can still move back into the top four if KKR lose to Delhi in today’s earlier game. The same applies to Punjab Kings, who overcame the heartbreak of their defeat to the Royals by doing enough to beat Sunrisers. Plus, they can take confidence in the fact they thumped Mumbai by nine wickets in the first leg of IPL 2021, and a repeat here puts them further in playoffs’ contention.
This is indeed a test of nerves for two inconsistent sides this season. The reward on offer for victory gives this matchup an early playoffs feel, as it crunch time.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Mumbai Indians:
- Is this the day Kieron Pollard delivers? One of the all-time great T20 cricketers, Pollard has a habit of producing when his team needs it most. Against Punjab, Pollard has smashed 514 runs at an average of 39.54 and strike rate of 163.69 – the most of any MI player.
- Rohit Sharma is Mumbai’s top-scorer in IPL 2021, with 326 runs in nine matches at an average of 36.22 and strike rate of 128.85. He will be looking to build on his two starts so far in the UAE leg (33 and 43) against a team whom he has scored 486 runs against at an average of 28.59 and strike rate of 130.65.
- Also, Rohit has scored two half-centuries in eight matches at Abu Dhabi. In total, he has scored 297 runs on this ground at an average of 37.13 and strike rate of 129.13.
- Is this the day Suryakumar Yadav finds form? He simply loves batting at Abu Dhabi, with 418 runs in 12 matches at an average of 46.44 and strike rate of 160.77. However, he will need to improve on his record vs Kings (7 inns, 159 runs, avg. 22.71, SR 137.07).
- Hardik Pandya will be key as MI’s finisher. He has struck 190 runs in eight matches at Abu Dhabi at a strike rate of 186.27 and average of 47.50. Against PBKS, Hardik strikes well at 178.95, but will be aiming to build on his average of 21.25 in 10 matches against them.
- Jasprit Bumrah has the most wickets of any current player in MI-PBKS matchups. His 17 scalps come at a fine average of 18.06 and strike rate of 17.18. Also, he has taken 16 wickets in nine matches at Abu Dhabi at an average of 16.00 and strike rate of 13.50.
- Punjab Kings isn’t Trent Boult’s favourite opponent. In three matches for MI against PBKS, Boult has taken just the one wicket at an average of 120 and economy rate of 11.25. Overall in his career, he averages 34.38 vs Punjab (SR 22.13) and 32.44 at Abu Dhabi (SR 22.22).
- It is a big game for Rahul Chahar, who is also searching for his best form. He strikes every 22 deliveries at Abu Dhabi, and has five wickets in four matches vs PBKS (avg. 21.00).
- In the first innings in IPL, Chahar has taken 13 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 32.5 and strike rate of 26.3. Bowling second, he has 29 wickets to his name in 25 matches at an average of 23 and strike rate of 18.4.
Punjab Kings:
- KL Rahul loves playing Mumbai Indians. In seven games for PBKS against MI, he has smashed 443 runs in seven matches at an unbelievable average of 110.75 and strike rate of 137.15. He was player of the match against them earlier in IPL 2021, with 60 off 52 balls.
- Mayank Agarwal is having a fine season (9 inns, 332 runs, avg. 41.50, SR 142.48). He will be seeking to improve on a sub-par career record against MI, which reads: 13 inns, 236 runs, avg. 19.67, SR 151.28.
- Chris Gayle scored 43* (35) vs MI earlier this season, part of a great career record vs the five-time champions: 19 inns, 707 runs, avg. 44.19, SR 133.40, six 50s. Gayle also has a half-century in two IPL matches at Abu Dhabi.
- Ravi Bishnoi was outstanding on his return to the team last game, taking 3/24 against SRH. Also, Bishnoi took 2/21 vs MI earlier this season.
- Bishnoi often prefers to bowl first in IPL, with 10 wickets in nine such games at an average of 21.9 and strike rate of 18.6. In the second innings, he has taken nine wickets in 10 matches at an average of 31.1 and strike rate of 26.9. This includes 3/24 last game.
- Mohammed Shami has taken 10 wickets in five matches for PBKS vs MI, including 2/21 earlier this season. He has been excellent in phase two of IPL 2021 too, with 3/21 and 2/14 thus far.
Stats and Facts
- Head-to-head: Matches 27, MI 14, PBKS 13.
- Punjab Kings (132/1) thumped Mumbai Indians (131/6) earlier in IPL 2021.
- Quinton de Kock averages 28 in five matches for MI vs PBKS (140 runs, SR 121.74). de Kock scored a half-century (55) in his last game at Abu Dhabi against KKR.
- Ishan Kishan is the only player with at least 100 runs to have a strike rate under 100 in IPL 2021 (SR 86.99). Also, he averages just 15.50 in six matches vs PBKS (93 runs), with a strike rate of just 95.88.
- Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed Mayank Agarwal twice in two games for no run scored.
- Punjab have lost six out of the eight games in which KL Rahul scored below 25.
Possible Playing 11
Mumbai Indians: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Quinton de Kock, 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Ishan Kishan/Saurabh Tiwary, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Krunal Pandya/Anukul Roy, 8. Adam Milne/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9. Rahul Chahar, 10. Trent Boult, 11. Jasprit Bumrah
Chris Gayle has a balls-per-dismissal ratio of 16.5 vs spin in 2021. Given Agarwal has history vs Bumrah, PBKS could look at opening with Gayle so he plays pace.
Punjab Kings: 1. KL Rahul (c & wk), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Deepak Hooda, 7. Harpreet Brar, 8. Ravi Bishnoi, 9. Nathan Ellis/Chris Jordan, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Mohammed Shami
Abu Dhabi Pitch Report and Weather
Abu Dhabi is a good chasing ground. The chasing team has won three of four matches so far in IPL 2021, after the chasing team won 14 of 22 fixtures on this ground in 2020.
The forecast is for more clear and warm weather.
Dream11 Prediction
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.

Also read: Fan2Play vs Dream11 – What’s the difference?
Match Prediction
Huge game and difficult to predict. Punjab Kings are in the better form, but Mumbai Indians are capable of turning things around. Given that chasing is beneficial on this ground, any total in the region of 160-170 is crucial.