IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy teams for MI vs PBKS match

IPL 2023 will return to Mumbai tonight for a match between the Mumbai Indians and the Punjab Kings. It is the first meeting between MI and PBKS in the 2023 season.

Over the years, MI and PBKS have played some exciting matches in the Indian Premier League. Both teams have participated in all the seasons played so far. They have had several close games, including the Double Super Over contest, which happened in 2020.

PBKS and MI have not played a single match at the Wankhede Stadium in the last four years. Their previous meeting happened on April 13, 2022 at the MCA Stadium in Pune. PBKS scored 198/5 in their 20 overs, and in reply, MI finished with 186/9, losing the match by 12 runs.

The upcoming match between the Mumbai Indians and the Punjab Kings will be closely followed by fantasy cricket users. Top names like Ishan Kishan, Cameron Green, Tilak Varma, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar and Shikhar Dhawan are likely to be popular picks in the Dream11 contest for this IPL 2023 game.

Before the first ball of the match between MI and PBKS is bowled, here's a look at three surprise picks that could prove to be differentials in fantasy cricket contests for this game.

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#1 Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma has gotten off to some good starts in IPL 2023 matches (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has shown signs of returning to his old form in IPL 2023. He scored a match-winning half-century in the match against the Delhi Capitals, but could not convert his starts into big scores in the previous two games.

Some fantasy cricket users might be hesitant to select Rohit Sharma in their teams because of his previous two performances. But considering Sharma is timing the ball well, he could end up playing a big knock tonight.

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#2 Jitesh Sharma, Punjab Kings

Jitesh Sharma is the wicket-keeper of the Punjab Kings (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma played a handy cameo of 30 runs from 15 balls in his last match against the Mumbai Indians. In his previous outing in IPL 2023, Sharma smashed 41 runs off 27 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Judging by his last performance against MI and most recent innings in the IPL, Jitesh Sharma could end up scoring a lot of fantasy points in the upcoming match.

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#3 Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai Indians

Suryakumar Yadav played a match-winning knock for MI in their last match at Wankhede Stadium (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Suryakumar Yadav has had a tough time in the middle over the last few weeks. He was scoring runs for fun in 2022, but after playing in the India vs. Australia series, his performances have not been on the same level.

Even in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Yadav could only manage a three-ball seven. Fans should note that the MI star played a knock of 43 runs from 25 balls at the Wankhede Stadium against KKR last Sunday.

The upcoming IPL 2023 match will take place at the Wankhede Stadium as well. Hence, picking Yadav in the team may not be a bad move.