Nursing fresh wounds and fast-diminishing hopes of a place in the play-offs, Kings XI Punjab deserved some respite but there seems to be none. Having been pushed to the bottom of the table by no-hopers Pune Warriors on Sunday, Kings XI takes on leader Mumbai Indians, in a must-win game on Tuesday.
Kings XI's last home game at the PCA before moving on to three ‘home' games at Dharamsala, holds much significance. After five straight losses, Kings XI cannot afford to lose another game.
Highly improbable
In spite of just three wins, it is the only team which has five matches in hand. Mathematically, a team with eight victories looks, more or less, sure of a place in the next stage. But going by form and body language of the Kings XI players, it looks highly improbable.
Adam Gilchrist's men, who humbled defending champion Chennai Super Kings here last month, have lost their last five matches. In three of the last four matches, it failed to cross 120. In fact, the after-effects of the thrashing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore — centurion Chris Gayle to be precise — could be seen when Kings XI faced Warriors.
As a result, the side is low on confidence and spirit. The desperate five changes that the team management effected against Warriors proved of no help. The team depends heavily on the top-order comprising Gilchrist, Paul Valthaty and Shaun Marsh to fire. And in the last few games, the top-guns have not exactly blazed.
Fairly effective
Kings XI's bowling resources are fairly effective but have not performed to potential. And given Mumbai Indians' batting line-up, it is difficult to imagine an unexpected outcome on Tuesday.
Assured of a place in the play-offs, Mumbai is looking to extend its three-win sequence that began with a 23-run victory over Kings XI in Mumbai. Knowing Sachin Tendulkar and his keenness to “maintain the momentum,” it is unlikely the skipper will choose to test the bench strength beyond a point.
Given the position the team is in, nothing will lift the team's sagging morale more than victory over the current leader. How the Kings XI's top-order deals with the feared Mumbai attack, on a two-paced pitch here, remains to be seen.
When the teams met last, Valthaty and Marsh had raised a 72-run second-wicket stand to provide the brightest phase of the innings. Even on that occasion, Lasith Malinga, the highest wicket-taker so far in the competition, could not be sorted out by the Kings XI line-up.
In fact, Mumbai carries far too many guns to be in serious trouble against most of the teams in the competition. WTendulkar, along with Rayudu and Rohit Sharma, not taking into account Pollard and Andrew Symonds, forms a devastating trio.
