 "IPL 2024 PBKS vs MI: 5 key battles featuring Rohit Sharma and Kagiso Rabada")
When Punjab Kings face off against the Mumbai Indians at the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Thursday, April 18, all eyes will be on the riveting battle between Kagiso Rabada and Rohit Sharma.
However, amidst this marquee showdown, several other key battles will unfold, intensifying the intrigue of the match. Punjab and Mumbai have historically been evenly matched in the IPL, with the hosts winning 15 encounters and the visitors triumphing on 16 occasions out of their 31 meetings.
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1. Kagiso Rabada vs Rohit Sharma
Rabada's menacing outswing has consistently troubled the Indian stalwart. Across 14 innings, Rohit has managed only 89 runs off 74 balls against the South African speedster. With a strike rate of 120, Rohit's struggle against Rabada, particularly during powerplay overs, is apparent. Moreover, Rohit's modest average of 22.4, coupled with four dismissals to Rabada, adds to Mumbai's concerns.
2. Liam Livingstone vs Romario Shepherd
While Rabada holds the upper hand against Rohit, West Indian Romario Shepherd has enjoyed dominance in the key battle of all-rounders against Englishman Liam Livingstone. Shepherd has dismissed Livingstone three times in five innings, boasting an impressive average of just 10. Despite Livingstone's high strike rate of 230 against Shepherd, the West Indian has maintained a commendable strike rate of 207 and an average of 29 against Livingstone.
3. Ishan Kishan vs Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh has emerged victorious in the clash against Ishan Kishan on three occasions out of four innings, limiting the Mumbai left-hander to a meager average of 8.3 and a strike rate of 203. Kishan's subdued performance against Singh, marked by just two fours and a six, underscores the bowler's dominance.
Suryakumar Yadav, demonstrating signs of regaining form in the match against RCB, holds a favourable matchup against Punjab Kings' Sam Curran. In five innings against Curran, Yadav has amassed 58 runs off just 21 balls at an average of 29, with only two dismissals. Yadav's staggering strike rates of 200 and 276, accompanied by five fours and an equal number of sixes, make him a formidable opponent for Curran.
The final battle revolves around the clash of the two weakest spin bowling attacks in IPL 2024, with the focus on which unit will deliver on the day. Led by Harpreet Brar, the Punjab spin attack, featuring Rahul Chahar, Sikandar Raza, and Liam Livingstone, has secured seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.42. In contrast, Mumbai's spinners, comprising Shams Mulani, Shreyas Gopal, and Piyush Chawla, have managed only four wickets at an economy rate of 9.96.