They have been in rampaging form with five straight wins but Mumbai Indians can ill afford to be complacent against a Chris Gayle-inspired Kings XI Punjab on Sunday.

A win for Mumbai will virtually ensure them a spot in the play-offs while a loss for KXIP could seal their fate.

Mumbai Indians have steamrollered opposition teams with an explosive batting line-up complemented by a lethal bowling attack and the latest side to bear their brunt were the Kolkata Knight Riders who suffered an eight-wicket defeat on Friday.

Captain Rohit Sharma played second fiddle to Quinton de Kock in MI’s win against KKR, with the South African hitting 78 not out from 44 balls. On the bowling front, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult have formed the most successful pair this IPL with 12 wickets apiece.

KXIP’s openers, skipper KL Rahul (387 runs at a strike rate of 134.84) and Mayank Agarwal (337 runs), are looking good but their problem has been that their batting and bowling have not fired in unison though Gayle’s return is a bright spot.

A captivating duel may be in store between Gayle on one side and Bumrah and Boult on the other.