The 17th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will see KL Rahul‘s Punjab Kings (PBKS) locking horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). It will be a battle for momentum between the sides as they look to return to winning ways. While PBKS will be looking to adapt to Chennai’s slowish wickets, MI will be looking to finish their Chennai leg on a high.
The two sides will face each other on April 23 (Friday) at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. All the games of IPL 2021 will be broadcast live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD TV channels in India. Moreover, it will be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar and Jio TV App.
Let’s look at our fantasy 11 predictions for this clash and here are the top picks for PBKS vs RR.
Team Preview – Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings got off on the wrong foot in their first game at the Chepauk. A timid batting performance saw the Kings suffer a nine wicket defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The onus will be on the middle order to rise to the occasion as PBKS will be looking to get their campaign on track. The game against MI might see world’s number T20 batsman Dawid Malan making his IPL debut.
A change of venues saw the Aussie duo of Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith get benched in their maiden IPL season. The inclusion of Moises Henriques and Fabien Allen seemed to work well for KL Rahul and Co. In the game against SRH, the bowling lineup looked solid and it is the only silver lining for a side that has been struggling for consistency off late.
Team Preview – Mumbai Indians
Yet another no-show by Mumbai Indians’ middle order saw them concede their second loss of the season. The likes of Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya have struggled in Chennai and their poor run has now become a concern for the defending champs. The trio will have to find a way to succeed on the sluggish pitch as they look for some confidence before moving on to Delhi.
The MI bowling unit on the other has been solid as ever. The inclusion of Jayant Yadav has only bolstered the attack as they continue to roar in Chennai. Following a horrid show in the season opener, Rahul Chahar has been brilliant thus far. The pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult too have been in great rhythm. The defending champions are likely to field an unchanged XI.
Squads
Punjab Kings
KL Rahul (C & WK), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (WK), Chris Lynn, Anmolpreet Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Aditya Tare, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter Nile, Adam Milne, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar
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Ideal Playing XIs
Punjab Kings
- Mayank Agarwal
- KL Rahul (C & WK)
- Chris Gayle
- Dawid Malan
- Deepak Hooda
- Shahrukh Khan
- Moises Henriques
- Fabien Allen
- Murugan Ashwin
- Mohammed Shami
- Arshdeep Singh
Mumbai Indians
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Quinton de Kock (WK)
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Ishan Kishan
- Kieron Pollard
- Hardik Pandya
- Krunal Pandya
- Jayant Yadav
- Rahul Chahar
- Trent Boult
- Jasprit Bumrah
Key Players:
- Punjab Kings: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami
- Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Top picks for My Team 11 Fantasy Captain
Here are our three picks for probable Dream11 Fantasy captain for RCB vs RR:
- KL Rahul
- Rohit Sharma
- Suryakumar Yadav
Top picks for My Team 11 Fantasy Vice-Captain
Here are our three picks for probable Dream11 Fantasy vice-captain for RCB vs RR:
- Mayank Agarwal
- Rahul Chahar
- Trent Boult
My Team 11 Fantasy Team 1
Wicket-keepers:
- Quinton de Kock
- KL Rahul
Batsmen:
- Rohit Sharma
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Mayank Agarwal
- Shahrukh Khan
All-rounders:
- Kieron Pollard
- Deepak Hooda
Bowlers:
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Jayant Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
My Team 11 Fantasy Team 2
Wicket-keepers:
- KL Rahul
- Ishan Kishan
Batsmen:
- Rohit Sharma
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Chris Gayle
All-rounders:
- Krunal Pandya
- Deepak Hooda
Bowlers:
- Rahul Chahar
- Murugan Ashwin
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mohammed Shami
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