Desperate for a win, Mumbai take on seventh-placed Punjab in match 23 of the Indian T20 League 2022 season at MCA Stadium, Pune. The five-time winners, who suffered a seven-wicket thrashing at the hands of Bangalore in their last outing, have lost all four games, and another defeat would jeopardize their playoff hopes.
Punjab have endured mixed fortunes so far in the 15th edition. They suffered an agonizing defeat against Gujarat last week. Rahul Tewatia returned to haunt them again as the all-rounder hit two sixes off the final two deliveries to inflict a second defeat on the Mohali-based franchise.
We look at five interesting First Games fantasy cricket Match-Ups from the Mumbai-Punjab match.
R Sharma vs S Dhawan
Two batsmen who combined scored more than 11,500 runs in the Indian T20 League lock horns in this Match-Up. R Sharma is under pressure after scoring just 39 runs in his last three outings. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan is yet to register a big score this season despite making promising starts. The Punjab opener, who has scored 127 runs this season, could beat his India teammate on Wednesday.
Surya K Yadav vs L Livingstone
Suryakumar Yadav versus Liam Livingstone is arguably the most exciting Match-Up in the Mumbai-Punjab fixture. Both players have come to the aid of their respective franchises with some brilliant knocks. The Mumbai batter has scored back-to-back half-centuries in Pune. It gives him the advantage over the Englishman in this Match-Up.
T Varma vs J Bairstow
Young prodigy Tilak Varma meets experienced T20 campaigner Jonny Bairstow. The Mumbai batter has grabbed the spotlight this season with impressive knocks against Rajasthan and Kolkata. On the other hand, Bairstow made just eight runs in his first game for Punjab. But the 32-year-old could fire on all cylinders against Mumbai and might clinch the Match-Up against Tilak.
Did You Know? J Bairstow scored 219 runs at a strike rate of 120 in three ODIs played against India at MCA Stadium, Pune in 2021
K Rabada vs R Chahar
In red-hot form, Rahul Chahar is expected to win the Match-Up against his Punjab teammate Kagiso Rabada. However, fast bowlers had more success than spinners at MCA Stadium this season. Rabada has taken four wickets and made valuable contributions with the bat, too, in three matches. The Proteas pacer might finish above Rahul in the fantasy points chart.
J Bumrah vs M Agarwal
With three wickets at an economy rate of 8.16, Jasprit Bumrah has endured a frustrating campaign. Punjab captain Mayank Agarwal, too, has struggled to live up to the expectations. He registered scores of 1, 4, and 5 after making 32 in Punjab's opening match. Bumrah is likely to emerge as the winner in this Match-Up.
Did You Know? J Bumrah claimed 64 fantasy points in his last outing against Punjab
What is First Games Match-Ups?
Match-Ups is a new fantasy contest where fantasy cricket players don’t need to create a team to join the contest. Select the player who will score the most points from the available match-ups. Higher the number of correct picks, bigger the prizes. Join the contest without creating a playing 11.
Match-Ups Rules
- From 7 Match-Ups, select 5 Match-Ups
- For each Match-Ups, pick the player who will score the most fantasy points
- The contest will be cancelled and entry fee will be refunded if the match is curtailed due to weather or extreme conditions
- The contest may also be cancelled if multiple players in Match-Ups are not in the starting line-up
Pick your Mumbai vs Punjab fantasy cricket Match-Ups on First Games by Paytm now!
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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