Mumbai Indians have always held the upper hand against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The head to head is in favour of Mumbai 19-6.
MI, just like every year, did not have a good outing in their first game and would be waiting for an opportunity to bounce back. And with their superior record against the Knight Riders, they could not have asked for a better fixture to do so. KKR’s skipper Dinesh Kartik has also expressed that he feels it is good to play MI, a team they don’t fare well against, this early in the tournament.
Apart from being rusty on the field, Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling would also be a concern for Mumbai. Bumrah was far from his reputation on Saturday. And if Rohit’s side hopes to defend their title, their star bowler needs to do well. Additionally, Rohit did not bowl Hardik Pandya in the game as the latter is transitioning back into competitive cricket after a back injury. MI would need their star all-rounder at his 100 per cent as soon as possible.
Trent Boult vs Andre Russell would be a sight to watch, with the former having expressed his desire to face the challenge already. Andre Russell is a big challenge for any bowling outfit to face.
KKR’s biggest strength, coming into the game, lies in their middle order. With Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell and Dinesh Kartik, they have three batsmen who are capable of turning any game on its head. This would also give a free hand to Shubman Gill and Sunil Narine at the top as they will feel reassured with the firepower to follow.
Pat Cummins, with his price tag and the team’s hopes, would be expected to perform from the word go.
In MI’s camp, Saurabh Tiwary, who did well in the first game, might keep Ishan Kishan out of the squad for the time being. Once Nathan Coulter-Nile recovers, it is highly likely that he will straightaway replace Pattinson, adding further depth to the batting lineup.
Likely XIs:
KKR: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Kartik (c & wk), Eoin Morgan, Andre Russel, Rahul Tripathi, Pat Cummins, Kuldeep Yadav, Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Shivam Mavi/Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier/Prasidh Krishna
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary/Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile/James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.
