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Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. Rohit made just one change to his side by bringing in English pacer Tymal Mills in place of Ramandeep Singh, who made his debut in the previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
On the other hand, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal did not make any changes to the side that lost the previous game against Gujarat Titans (GT) in a last-ball thriller.
“Looks like a similar pitch to the ones we have played, there will be help for the pacer, need to exploit. Just one change - Tymal Mills is back, replacing Ramandeep. Just want the guys to keep their heads high, it's important not to lose focus, keep trying harder and harder to get the points. Looking forward to doing well as a team,” Rohit said after winning the toss.
MI XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Kieron Pollard, Jaydev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Basil Thampi
PBKS XI: Mayank Agarwal(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow(w), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Odean Smith, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh
Five-time MI are yet to win their first game of the tournament. They have suffered defeats in four consecutive games. Agarwal’s PBKS have had a mixed bag of a season so far with two wins from four games.
“It has been fun, I've really enjoyed my role in this Punjab side. Many people know the way we wanted to play and we are trying to incorporate that in the team. We have played some good cricket, hopefully we can get a bit smart and keep entertaining the people. My bowling is something I have worked on over the last couple of years, just trying something different and try to give my team an option to use me as a bowler. It something I have really worked hard, it has been fun. It (bowling) doesn't come as naturally as my batting does, so I have enjoyed that challenge,” in-form Liam Livingstone said before the game.
“This team is known for coming back from this situation.The talent's there, the situation was tough for the team in the past as well, it's tough now but I think everyone together will bounce back for sure. It (mood in the camp) is pretty upbeat, everyone is looking to get that win under our belt. It's always important to get that first win and then get that momentum,” said Jaydev Unadkat as MI look to end their losing streak.
