All eyes on Bumrah as MI look to halt PBKS' unbeaten charge

Jasprit Bumrah will be hoping his long, barren stretch comes full circle on Thursday night. It had started last year with the Mumbai Indians' game (Qualifier 2) against Punjab Kings, the opposition that MI will be up against at the Wankhede Stadium.

For more than 20 overs (122 deliveries, to be precise), Bumrah has gone wicketless in the IPL - statistically the longest zero-yield stretch in T20 cricket for him. It may not be long before he returns among the wickets, and the opposition in this game could well provide him with the much-needed breakthrough for the season.

Notwithstanding the lack of wickets, Bumrah has not been ineffective or expensive. However, his lean phase is not the only concern for Mumbai Indians. An in-form opener sidelined with injury; the middle order not exactly firing; an overseas pacer - usually a breakthrough specialist - conceding runs at 12.22 an over, well above his career rate of 8.46; and the spinners being profligate, leaking runs like a broken tap, MI have often looked like a bull charging after the matador in a bullring - full of intent, but never quite landing the decisive blow.

MI have too many holes to patch before opponents begin to fully exploit their weaknesses. Of particular concern is the middle order. Suryakumar Yadav (106), Tilak Varma (35), Hardik Pandya (67), Sherfane Rutherford (101) and even Naman Dhir (59) have had modest returns in a season where, as captain Pandya admits, Mumbai Indians are playing catch-up. The team is slipping in the race for a top-four finish, and the onus will be on the middle order - particularly Tilak, a World Cup winner who has been totally out of sorts in the first four games.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are firing on all cylinders and operating at peak efficiency. The Shreyas Iyer-led side is the only unbeaten team in the league so far and the only one among the original eight to boast an equal (17-17) or superior (3-2 in the last five games) head-to-head record against the five-time champions. Iyer himself has stood out for his versatility and incisive captaincy. His move to introduce Shashank Singh's gentle medium pace to stymie Sunrisers Hyderabad's batting momentum the other day proved a masterstroke.

"A good winning record against a team carries momentum forward. We are in a very positive frame of mind and have a clear understanding of their plans. Having done well against them in the past is an added advantage that we want to carry into this game as well," Wadhera, who played for MI a couple of seasons ago, said heaping praise of captain Iyer and coach Ponting for the unbeaten record in the season.

On paper, the PBKS juggernaut could prove too strong for MI to halt but they are not five-time champions for nothing. And then they also have a determined Bumrah who would be keen to end his prolonged lull. After all, he is not, arguably, the best bowler in the world for nothing.

@B0$ Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 PM IST

@B1$ Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

@B2$ As is often the case at the Wankhede, a high-scoring contest looks likely. The small ground and batting-friendly surface could push totals to new heights, particularly if Punjab Kings - boasting several in-form batters - get to bat first. That said, expect a determined and focused response from Mumbai Indians, who know time may be running out in their campaign.

@B3$ MI 17 - 17 RCB. PBKS are the only side to have a superior record against the five-time champions, holding a 3-2 edge in the last five meetings. At this venue, however, the two are even at 5-5.

@B4$

@B5$

@B6$ Rohit Sharma continues to struggle with a hamstring injury, raising the question of who will replace him in his likely absence. One option is to field two South Africans - Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock - at the top, which could mean leaving out the out-of-sorts Trent Boult. Alternatively, MI could hand an opportunity to a young Indian opener such as Danish Malewar or Robin Minz.

Will Jacks is either already in Mumbai or en route, which means the England all-rounder should be available for the game. He could come in for Mitchell Santner.

@B7$ Trent Boult has dismissed Prabhsimran Singh thrice in six innings, and not allowed the hard-hitting opener to break free. If the pacer gets a look in, he will be the key for an early breakthrough.

@B8$ Ryan Rickleton, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar

@B9$

@B10$ There is no information of any injury to any Punjab players.

@B11$ Yuzvendra Chahal has had the measure of Hardik Pandya. In a 75-ball face-off between the two in IPL, he has conceded only 71 runs and dismissed the hard-hitting batter four times.

@B12$ Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

@B13$

- PBKS have beaten MI five times in ten IPL games at the Wankhede - the joint most by a team alongside CSK and RCB (both five in 13).

- Priyansh Arya strikes at 188.41 in the Powerplay since IPL 2025, the highest for any batter with at least 150 balls in this phase.

- Punjab Kings have conceded 37 runs off wides in four innings

@B14$

"I haven't been told anything. The team management will take a call and we will get to know tomorrow only. I'm absolutely ready to bat anywhere. Even last year, I batted up the order, sometimes at No. 5 or No. 7." - @B15$ on likely batting order change in MI lineup

"I was talking to Shreyas yesterday and he told me, 'You play freely, taking pressure is my job.' It tells you a lot about him as a leader-he enjoys that responsibility. Seeing him finish games and stay not out in our recent wins has been fabulous for the entire group." - @B16$ on Shreyas Iyer