Match preview KXIP vs MI: Can MI do a double over the tournament favourites

MATCH FACTS
What: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians
When: Wednesday, May 21, 2014. 8pm, IST
Where: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
Head-to-Head: Kings XI Punjab lead 7-5

Kings XI Punjab play their first match in their home state against the struggling defending champions, Mumbai Indians. The home fans will be thrilled to finally see their team from close quarters, given the tournament that they have had. It has mostly been the ‘Maxwell-Miller’ show but when these two have struggled, players like Wriddhiman Saha and Manan Vohra have stepped up, which has led the team to where they are: top of the table with a play-off berth secured with three games remaining.
Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have had a tournament to forget. Winners of IPL-6 and the Champions League T20 last year, a lot was expected from the champions. However, it all went wrong for them right from the beginning. They lost their first five matches and never really got going. Now, with just 4 wins from 11 matches, the hopes of snatching a play-off berth has all but vanished for Mumbai. They can still play party-poopers for the teams in contention.

STANDINGS
SUNRISERS HYEDRABAD: 1st with 18 points (11 matches played)
MUMBAI INDIANS: 7th with 8 points (11 matches played)

POSSIBLE PLAYING XI
KINGS XI PUNJAB: Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey, Wriddhiman Saha, Akshar Patel, Rishi Dhawan, Shivam Sharma, Beuran Hendricks, Sandeep Singh
MUMBAI INDIANS: Lendl Simmons, Michael Hussey, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Corey Anderson, Kieron Pollard, Aditya Tare, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Jasprit Bumrah, Krishnomar Santioke

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
VIRENDER SEHWAG has not been in form. Probably his team’s rampaging form has kept this under the carpet but the ‘Nawab from Najafgarh’ has scored just one fifty in his 11 innings at the top with a strike rate of 128.44, which pales in comparison to his career IPL strike rate of 155.9. Sanjay Bangar and Co. would love him to get back into some form before the playoffs
PRAGYAN OJHA has been a massive disappointment for the Mumbai Indians. His IPL-7 figures read 3/254 in 31 overs at an economy rate of 8.19. Perhaps a chance for him to show that he still belongs to the top level with a good performance against the best batting side in the tournament.

PROBABLE OUTCOME
KINGS XI PUNJAB continue their dream run and pile further misery on the Mumbai Indians