IPL 2023: PBKS vs MI | Punjab to test Mumbai’s class in crucial game

Indian Premier League 2023: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians in Mohali on May 3, 2023

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians' class and pedigree will once again be tested when they take on an unpredictable Punjab Kings in a crucial Indian Premier League match in Mohali on May 3.

A win will give MI the much-needed push on the points table, while a loss will see them slip further and chart a familiar course like the previous edition. MI had finished 10th and last in the previous edition.

The Mumbai team is currently placed seventh with eight points from eight matches and things are not looking great for Rohit Sharma's side.

The win against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on April 30, though, would have instilled a fair bit of confidence in the MI team after it chased down a massive 212 with three balls to spare to earn two valuable points.

The win was crafted by Singapore-born Australian cricketer Tim David, who smashed three sixes on the trot in the final over during his 14-ball unbeaten 45 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

While there were vital contributions from India's T20 specialist batter Suryakumar Yadav (55), tall Australian all-rounder Cameron Green (44), Ishan Kishan (28) and Tilak Varma (29 not out), none could match the ferocity of David's strokes.

The 27-year-old middle-order batter smashed five sixes and two boundaries at a strike rate in excess of 300 as Mumbai Indians won on home turf.