Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings Predictions: Mumbai are favourites at home against inconsistent Punjab

Playing in their seventh game of the season Mumbai Indians will welcome Punjab Kings in the 31st game of the season at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 22nd April. Mumbai has won three games on the trot but Punjab looks to have struggled in recent games. Who will win this game?

The Mumbai Indians have made an impressive comeback after starting the season with two consecutive losses, winning their last three matches and gradually climbing up the points table. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have rediscovered their form, providing the team with solid starts in recent games. While they tend to be aggressive in the powerplay, they have not always stayed at the crease for long periods.

Tilak Varma and Cameron Green are also in good form, strengthening Mumbai's batting line-up. Varma, in particular, is considered the team's best batter at the moment and could earn a spot in the Indian national team soon. However, in the bowling department, there hasn't been a standout performer for the team, with Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff being the leading wicket-takers. Arjun Tendulkar has shown promise in his couple of games, but his effectiveness in the death overs remains to be seen. MI's bowling unit lacks the impact of Archer and Bumrah, and it remains a clear weakness for the team, although they have managed to get away with it in recent matches.

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nehal Wadhera, Arjun Tendulkar, Piyush Chawla, Jason Behrendorff, Riley Meredith

The Punjab Kings have been inconsistent this season, winning three matches and losing three, including their latest match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. One of their weak links has been the batting, and with Shikhar Dhawan out due to a shoulder injury, it appears to be particularly vulnerable. In their previous match, only Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma managed to impress.

Despite having big names like Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the middle order, they have been inconsistent so far. However, this batting lineup is likely to enjoy the conditions in Mumbai, and Livingstone or Short could potentially take advantage of the weak MI bowling lineup.

Leading the new-ball attack for the Punjab Kings once again will be Arshdeep Singh, who has done a good job so far with 9 wickets. He will be supported by Sam Curran and Nathan Ellis, while Harpreet Brar has been economical with his left-arm orthodox spin and has picked up 4 wickets. 

The Punjab Kings are still struggling to find the right balance, especially with some of their best players unavailable. The management will have to carefully consider whether to include Rajapaksa or Short in the lineup.

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

The Wankhede Stadium pitch is anticipated to be a batting-friendly surface with true bounce, providing the batters with an opportunity to strike. It is suggested that the team winning the toss should choose to bowl first, and a score of 180 or above will be considered competitive. Although there won't be much assistance for the pacers, the spinners are likely to receive some support on this somewhat dry pitch. No precipitation is expected during the match, but high humidity and temperatures in the mid-thirties are anticipated. Mumbai seems to have found their groove in recent games and we expect them to win against the inconsistent Punjab side.