IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Will Be Crucial for Mumbai Indians to Win MI vs PBKS Match No. 31

IPL 2023: After a horrible performance in 2022 and then losing the first two games of the 2023 edition, it looks like the five-time champion Mumbai Indians have found their mojo back. MI is currently on a roll and has won three games on the trot. As a result, they are sitting in sixth place with three wins out of five games.

MI will now have a chance to make it four in a row. They will face the Punjab Kings in the second game on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium. Another thing that can work in MI’s favor is that they had a four-day break from their last game, which can help the team freshen up and work on their strategies. Here, we will discuss three important players for the Mumbai Indians who can win MI vs PBKS Match No. 31.

IPL 2023: 3 Key Players for Mumbai Indians in MI vs PBKS Match No. 31

3. Tilak Varma

The five-time champion invested in a lot of young Indian and overseas talent in 2022, and now they are getting the benefit. One such young, uncapped Indian player who made his IPL debut for MI was Tilak Varma. The 20-year-old was the find for MI in 2022 and has continued his performance in the ongoing tournament as well. He is currently the highest run-getter for the franchise in 2023.

Tilak has scored 214 runs in five innings at an excellent average of 53.50 and a strike rate of 158.52. He started the tournament with an unbeaten 84 against RCB and has continued from there on. He is performing consistently in the middle order and has overshadowed struggling Suryakumar Yadav with his performances, which speaks volumes about his impact on the team. Tilak will look to add more runs at Wankhede when MI faces PBKS on Saturday.

2. Cameron Green

The Man of the Match in the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Cameron Green, will have another big role to play when MI takes on Punjab. The Australian all-rounder scored his maiden half-century (64* off 40) and took 1/29 to help his team register its third win in a row. Green has scored 99 runs at a strike rate of 154.69 and has three wickets as well.

It will be an epic contest between two all-rounders who bagged huge money at the auction because Green will be up against Sam Curran on Saturday. MI will want him to continue his form because a win on Saturday will help the four-time champion jump into the top four in the tournament. Green is best suited for the conditions at Wankhede, which offer assistance to pacers, and with small boundaries, he can do some power-hitting with the bat.

1. Ishan Kishan

It looks very clear that MI management has given a full license to Ishan Kishan to go and start smashing the bowlers from the word go. The left-hander is now looking to take more risks and score more boundaries in the power play. And if it is the same plan against Punjab, then he can become a real issue for Punjab.

PBKS has some issues in their batting order, and if Ishan can help MI post a big total. It will be hard for Punjab to come back into the game. Ishan has scored the second-most runs for his team. He has made 169 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 145.69. The left-hander will continue to play in the same fashion to lead his team to victory. It can cause a big headache for Punjab.