IPL Qualifier 2 Preview: Comeback kings Mumbai face Punjab in final hurdle before summit clash

India Today

3 days ago

A belligerent Mumbai Indians have forced their way into Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in a bid to reach the final this season. Down and out after losing the first four of their five matches, Mumbai hurled themselves back into contention, owing to some superb team performances in the second half of the tournament.Playing in the Eliminator, Mumbai were put under the pump by Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan, but they weathered that storm, making sure that they brought themselves closer to the promised land, one that this team desperately needed.advertisementIt has been a massive turnaround in the mood at the MI camp. In 2024, when Hardik Pandya freshly took over the side, things looked broken. Mark Boucher, the former coach of the side, looked out of depth, and Mumbai paid the price of not showing a united front.
Finishing 10th in IPL 2024 probably rubbed the players and the management the wrong way, and they proceeded to make some crucial changes to their line-up. They had a superb IPL auction, one where they brought in key reinforcements to the side, to bolster an already strong core.But even then, things went a little pear-shaped after the team failed to put in a good start to the tournament. It took four losses for MI to show a united front. The senior members stood up, the youngsters clicked and more importantly, the return of Jasprit Bumrah galvanised the side.advertisementAnd then Mumbai went on a rampaging run, which, if they win the IPL 2025, will turn out to be the story of the tournament.Mumbai's performance in the Eliminator would have sent shivers down the spine of the remaining two sides in the competition, and rightly so, because when Mumbai mean business, it is fairly difficult to stop them.PUNJAB LOOK TO SHAKE OFF MULLANPUR HORRORPunjab Kings are certainly one of the teams of the tournament. It cannot be stated enough how drastically different Punjab have been than the rest of the teams. Two uncapped openers at the top, and a host of all-rounders throughout the rest of the line-up, it would be a tale for the ages of thinking outside the traditional ways can help in the T20 game.While their unlikely system worked for the majority of the tournament, the fairytale came crashing down in the Qualifier 1 against RCB in Mullanpur, where they were bundled out for just 101 runs.There is an argument that Punjab, as a team, are not very suitable for conditions which require the use of specialists, and, thankfully for them, not all conditions in the Indian Premier League, demand that in the first place.advertisementPunjab will probably breathe a sigh of relief that they are playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where the team's fairytale run began.In their first match of the Indian Premier League, Punjab ripped apart Gujarat Titans, handing them a comprehensive defeat on March 25.The onus will be on Shreyas Iyer to give his best shot in Qualifier 2 of the tournament. Punjab bowling coach James Hopes had said after their last game that PBKS had worked hard enough to deserve a second chance in the tournament.And they have it, albeit against Mumbai Indians, a thoroughly scary team in the tournament.MI vs PBKS: Team NewsThere are no injury concerns in any team. Deepak Chahar seemed to have pulled a muscle, but he is reported to be fully fit for the Punjab game.For Punjab Kings, there is no news on Yuzvendra Chahal, who missed the last game. Which means that he is likely to be unavailable for the clash against Mumbai.PBKS vs MI: Pitch and Weather ReportThis match was shifted out of Kolkata due to the prediction of rain. Lo and behold, it seems that there no escaping rain, as Ahmedabad received showers on May 31 evening, just 24 hours before the game.advertisementWith the pitch under cover, it would be a little tricky to make any predictions. Even if it is a batting track, Punjab would be mindful of taking things a little slow than they did in Qualifier 1, which might lead to yet another meltdown in the playoffs this season.PBKS vs MI: Head-to-HeadMumbai trail Punjab 2-3 in recent battles (since 2022) but overall they enjoy a slight edge of 17-16.PBKS vs MI: Predicted Playing XIsMumbai IndiansRohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson.Impact Sub: Ashwani KumarPunjab KingsPrabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Jamieson.Impact Sub: Vijaykumar VyshakMI vs PBKS, Qualifier 2: Fantasy picksMumbai Indians:Jasprit BumrahSuryakumar YadavTrent BoultRohit SharmaHardik PandyaPunjab Kings:Prabhsimran SinghPriyansh AryaShreyas IyerMarcus StoinisArshdeep SinghTune InTrending Reel
IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025