MI vs PBKS, IPL 2023: 3 player battles to watch out for

The Mumbai Indians (MI) will host the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 31 of the IPL 2023 season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Rohit Sharma and his men didn't start the tournament well, but now seem to have found some much-needed momentum with three wins on the trot.

Punjab, on the other hand, have had a pretty inconsistent season so far, having played six games, winning and losing three each. The absence of Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order has been a massive blow for them and they will hope that he is fit for the game against MI.

Mumbai Indians will want to make the most of their home advantage and try and make it four wins in a row. However, PBKS have often been the team that has found a way to beat MI at least once a season in the past few editions.

On that note, let's take a look at some of the match-ups that could potentially decide the result of the game:

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#3 Tim David vs Sam Curran

Sam Curran may not have great memories of the Wankhede Stadium as the last time he played here, he was clobbered to all parts of the ground by former MI legend Kieron Pollard. The left-arm seamer may once again need to bowl at the death and this time may face the explosive Tim David.

While David and Curran haven't faced-off against each other much, the left-armer has managed to dismiss the big-hitter once in the three balls that he has bowled to him in T20Is. Tim David has managed to score just a solitary run in those three balls and will be determined to set the record straight if he gets the opportunity.

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#2 Liam Livingstone vs Piyush Chawla

Although England star Liam Livingstone failed in his first game for PBKS this season, his presence could make a massive difference against the Mumbai Indians. With the Wankhede Stadium arguably one of the best batting wickets in the country, Livingstone may enjoy hitting through the line and may score big.

However, the hosts do have a match-up for him in veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. The wrist-spinner has arguably been Mumbai's best bowler so far this season and could prove to be a threat for Livingstone.

The England star has scored 79 runs off 60 balls of leg-spin that he has faced in the IPL, but has also been dismissed four times. This would certainly keep the hosts interested and Livingstone may not hold back from expressing himself either.

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#1 Rohit Sharma vs Arshdeep Singh

Arguably one of the most intriguing battles to watch out for is between Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma and PBKS' star pacer Arshdeep Singh. Rohit has had issues dealing with left-arm seamers, especially when the ball is new and swinging. This could give Punjab a massive chance to get the big fish early.

Arshdeep has conceded just five runs in the seven balls that he has bowled to Rohit, dismissing him once. However, the star opener has also been a lot more proactive in the powerplay this season and will be keen to once again be ultra-aggressive and make the most of the first six overs.

This nicely sets it up for what could be a pivotal player battle in the context of the game.