Mumbai Indians are all propelled to take on Kings XI Punjab at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Rohit Sharma has made the ample of difference with his captaincy and his batting. With Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith contributing at the top, Mumbai would be looking to set up another big total on the board. However Kings XI Punjab also have some good fire power in their batting line-up in Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey and David Miller who can chase any target. Local talent in Mandeep Singh and Dhawal Kulkarni have come out really very well and it would be a great contest between them during the overs of power-play.

Here we bring to you the players to watch out for the match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (KXI-P).

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Sachin Tendulkar: Tendulkar has been getting a good start but he is not able to convert those into big ones. However he would love to break those shackles against Kings XI. He is looking in good touch and Mumbai Indians need him to do good at the top in order to give his middle-order batsmen the opportunity to fire in mid-overs.

Dwayne Smith: Smith has scored two back to back half-centuries and made his presence felt at the crease. He played a stunning knock of 50 runs off 36 balls in the last match. He has that ability to start firing after he takes a good start. He takes off the pressure off other batsmen by scoring quick runs.

Rohit Sharma: Rohit has been spectacular in this edition of IPL and would be looking to get another good score under his belt when he will come out to bat against Kings XI Punjab. He has taken the responsibility of captaincy in the right spirit and with back to back wins, his confidence must be growing from strength to strength.

Dhawal Kulkarni: Kulkarni made a dream start in the sixth edition of Indian Premier League. He got the wickets of Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers and Tilakaratne Dilshan in his first two overs and put RCB under some serious pressure. He is expected to spell his magic of swing bowling once again and get the wickets of Punjab’s top-order as soon as possible.

Harbhajan Singh: Turbanator was magnificent in the last match first with the bat and then with the ball. He scored 16 runs off just 10 balls and later took the priceless wicket of Chris Gayle which changed the game completely. His good form at Wankhede will give his captain the confidence to use him as an attacking option in the remaining matches.

Kings XI Punjab (KXI-P)

Adam Gilchrist: Gilchrist was looking in good touch against Kolkata Knight Riders and gave his team a flying start. He scored run-a-ball 27 and scored four crisp boundaries. Gilchrist can be very explosive if he simply gets going and it would be interesting to see how he will play against Harbhajan Singh.

Mandeep Singh: Mandeep Singh is looking in good form in IPL-6. He would be looking to give another blistering start to KXI-P against the Mumbai Indians. He has that ability to score quickly but gives away his wicket quite easily. The longer he stays at the crease, the better are Punjab chances to win the match.

David Miller: Miller didn’t bat well against KKR and got out to a spinner. But his confidence and his comfort zone against fast bowlers can make a significant difference in this match. He is an impact player for KXI-P and if he starts taking on the bowlers in mid-overs then MI might it tough against Kings XI.

Azhar Mahmood: Mahmood was brilliant with the ball as he picked up three wickets against KKR and he needs to show the same kind of brilliance against the formidable batting line-up of Mumbai. It’s going to be great contest between bat and ball when he will take the centre stage against Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Bravo.

David Hussey: Hussey has been looking rusty since the last few games but would be looking forward to unleash himself against the Mumbai Indians. Hussey can tear apart any bowling attack when it comes to death overs and that makes him a very special player for Kings XI.

By Amit Chopra
Indian Sports News Network