With both teams getting back to winning ways, Wednesday’s game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium is expected to be closely contested as the tournament enters the midway stage. Sitting two points behind the Shers having played five games thus far, hosts Mumbai Indians would be looking to take full advantage of their spare game to get back into the top four.

Photo: SPORTZPICS

Aamne Saamne

Mumbai Indians hold the upper hand by the slightest of margins; but one must remember that Kings XI Punjab emerged comprehensive victors when the two sides met less than a fortnight ago in Mohali. The visitors, though, also have a strong record at the Wankhede Stadium, having won there four times thus far.

Batting de Kings

South African wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock has been the star performer for Mumbai Indians this season; and scored a brilliant half century when the same two sides met in Mohali. Keeping the southpaw quiet would be Kings XI’s top priority if they are to win away from home for only the second time this season.

For the Shers, stylish opener KL Rahul has been the star performer with the bat, having scored three half centuries in chases this season. The 26-year-old is fresh off scoring a match winning, unbeaten 71 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and will look to capitalize on that good form when his side travel to Mumbai.

Bowling de Kings

West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph has played only one game thus far, but he is still the leading wicket taker for the hosts after registering the best ever figures in the history of the VIVO Indian Premier League when he nabbed 6/12 on his debut. Joseph’s bowling masterclass helped Mumbai Indians defend a modest total of just 136.

For Kings XI, it has been their captain Ravichandran Ashwin who has been their most consistent performer with the ball. Apart from picking up key wickets in almost every game, the spinner has also been very thrifty this season, having maintained an economy rate under 8.00 in all but one game.

Mudde ki Baat

Hosts Mumbai Indians have been in fine form since losing to the Shers in the earlier fixture, having won two games on the trot against top of the table opponents in Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. They seem to be building momentum at just the right stage with their marquee players like Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya starting to find form with the bat, along with their bowlers churning out quality performances as well.

Kings XI also have been in fine fettle this year, bouncing back from that defeat in Chepauk with a brilliant last over win against Hyderabad. Their batting unit have been consistently piling on the runs with the side losing in excess of four wickets just once this season.

The shorter boundaries and bouncy surface at the Wankhede Stadium would also be playing into the minds of the visitors, who might look to tweak their bowling line-up accordingly to get the maximum out of their trip to Mumbai.

Yaad Rakhiyo

• Ankit Rajpoot has dismissed Rohit Sharma twice; and has conceded only 11 runs against the MI captain.
• KL Rahul is joint top with David Warner for most number of fifties this season.
• Mayank Agarwal needs just two sixes to reach 100 sixes in the IPL.

Probable XI

KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Moises Henriques, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Ankit Rajpoot, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Like with the previous games, the Kings XI batting is unlikely to undergo any massive changes. All-rounder Moises Henriques could be preferred over David Miller for his added seam bowling abilities. The KXIP bowlers did a fine job against Sunrisers Hyderabad and would therefore not be tinkered with much.

NOTE: The aforementioned line-up is an educated guess at best, and the final decision rests with the captain and the team management depending on various external factors.