Punjab require divine intervention vs MI

DHARAMSHALA: Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab square up on Saturday for their last T20 league encounter in the backdrop of the majestic Dhauladhar Hills here and the spot-fixing controversy. The unsavoury episode has cast a dark shadow over the mega-event, but as they say: the show must go on.

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Going into the match, the opponents are in different situations. KXIP have slim chances of making the playoffs, while Mumbai Indians are through. Having grabbed a berth in the qualifiers, the latter hope to finish on a high with a win at this picturesque venue as they would prefer to play in Qualifier 1, which gives the loser a second chance to make it to the final.

KXIP have done their bit by edging past Delhi Daredevils on Thursday night to keep their chances alive. But they now require some divine intervention. They would be hoping against hope that Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose their remaining matches, while they themselves register a big win over Mumbai Indians on Saturday. One can say they are in an 'iffy' situation, as they were at the same stage last year at the same venue.

KXIP skipper Adam Gilchrist is, however, confident after the win over DD on Thursday night. He said that the team would like to finish off with a win and leave their passage to the play-offs on fate. "We have had a mixed season. Some good wins and some poor shows. Now we find ourselves at the mercy of other teams."

MI skipper Rohit Sharma too said that the team was focused on winning their last game and going into the playoffs on a high. "We are playing at the venue for the first time and there is a great enthusiasm among the fans here to see the team in action. We would like to go into the playoffs, be it Qualifier or Eliminator, on a high. The team has been playing well as a unit and we would like to keep it that way as we enter the business end of the tournament."

On the eve of the match, the fans here were not troubled as much by the fixing episode as they are about the doubt over Sachin Tendulkar's fitness for the match. The million dollar question for them is will they get to see him in action. The master blaster has never played at the venue and after spraining his wrist while batting, had missed the previous game against Rajasthan Royals. If he is fit enough and gets going here, it would be a day to remember for all those present at the most far-flung venue in the country.

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Shweta Pandey

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