The Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians are both looking to kickstart their IPL 2024 campaigns when they face off today at the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Both teams have lost their opening three matches and find themselves at the bottom of the points table. This crucial clash gives one team the chance to register their first win and boost their hopes of making the playoffs.
While PBKS have struggled with the bat, their problems have largely stemmed from a lack of collective performance so far. Skipper Sam Curran will hope for more runs from the likes of Rilee Rossouw and Liam Livingstone to support Jonny Bairstow and Atharva Taide. MI's batting too has lacked consistency apart from Suryakumar Yadav. Captain Rohit Sharma and youngster Tilak Varma need to shoulder more responsibility with the bat.
The two sides have an evenly contested head-to-head record, with MI holding a slight 16-15 advantage. However, this will be their first meeting in Mullanpur, so both teams will be playing at a new venue. Pitch-wise, batting has been relatively easy at this ground with high-scoring matches. The weather is also expected to be sunny throughout the match which should make for ideal cricket conditions.
Curran and Rohit will hope for improved all-round performances from their respective sides to pick up what could be a season-defining victory. With early pressure on both teams, a lot rides on this clash between two sides desperately seeking that elusive first win of IPL 2024.
