Saba Karim, former Indian cricketer, has shared his insights on the upcoming IPL Qualifier 2 clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Karim believes MI will likely win due to their strong momentum and bowling. He also expressed his hopes for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to win the IPL, especially for their star player Virat Kohli.
Karim’s statements were made during the Fit India ‘Sundays on Cycle’ event in Delhi.
Regarding the MI-PBKS match, Karim said, “With the momentum that Mumbai Indians have, I think it will be favourable for their victory. It is a good team, they have a strong bowling. They look more dominant the way they are playing.”
PBKS, after topping the league stage, faced a significant loss against RCB. Conversely, MI performed well in the eliminator against Gujarat Titans (GT), successfully defending a high score.
On the possibility of RCB’s victory in Virat Kohli’s 18th season, Karim added, “Hope so, his performance has been so good. He has been working so hard, and it would be good for RCB fans if they win the IPL this time around.”
Virat Kohli has been in excellent form, scoring 614 runs in 14 matches at an impressive average and strike rate, ranking him among the top run-getters this season.
Karim also discussed the upcoming India tour of England, anticipating a chance for the young team under Shubman Gill’s captaincy to excel in the five-Test series.
“We have a fine bench strength. Youngsters are getting a chance, what is better than that? There is a young captain. It is a good chance for these youngsters to perform well,” he stated.
The tour begins in June, coinciding with the new ICC World Test Championship cycle and presenting a fresh challenge for the young Indian team in England’s testing conditions.
Additionally, Saba lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture towards 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had a standout IPL season with Rajasthan Royals.
“That kid is very talented. To reach this platform and perform so well at this age, it shows that the game has reached in every corner of the game. So many good players are coming out. The support BCCI is giving, the gesture of PM Modi is fantastic. It sends a great message,” he added.
Suryavanshi’s impressive performance included a record-breaking century, making him the youngest centurion in T20 cricket.
India squad for England tour: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav