Published: May 09, 2018, 09:00 AM (IST)
Edited: May 08, 2018, 08:56 PM (IST)
Match 41 of Vivo Indian Premier League 2018 will see Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in their own backyard at Eden Gardens. MI have defeated KKR in the first encounter at Wankhede Stadium. MI also hold an impressive record against KKR, having won 16 out of 21 IPL matches. MI had a poor start to their season but are fighting hard for the Playoffs now. KKR, on the other hand, have a win-loss ratio of 1. Whoever wins today will inch towards the final.
MI had posted a 181 in their last match after their openers added 91. Hardik Pandya got a quick 35* towards the end. Then Shubman Gill, and not Sunil Narine, opened with Chris Lynn. The plan failed, as both openers were back in pavilion inside 4 overs. Robin Uthappa (54), Nitish Rana (31) and Dinesh Karthik (36*) fought hard, but KKR lost the match by 13 runs.
MI were struggling with death bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah seemed to be shouldering the responsibility alone. However, in the post-match ceremony Hardik revealed that he had compromised on batting practice to focus on bowling. He picked up 2 for 19 in that match to claim the Purple Cap. Rohit’s form and batting position have bothered MI, but then, this is Eden Gardens, where Rohit can do little wrong. The big positives for MI are the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis. The Pandya brothers have also contributed with bat and ball.
KKR have a settled team. They have won 3 out of 5 home games. Lynn has played some important knocks but has been inconsistent. KKR have lost both games in which they did not open with Narine. Gill’s batting position is a bit of concern as well. Uthappa and Rana have performed consistently. In the bowling department Mitchell Johnson has leaked runs in last two matches. It may not be a bad idea to replace him with Tom Curran.
MI likely XI: Evin Lewis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), JP Duminy, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande.
KKR likely XI: Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Piyush Chawla, Tom Curran, Robin Uthappa, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi.
Predictions: MI have won their last 2 games. They carry a reputation of bouncing back strongly after early defeats. Rohit may not be at his best, but we can expect explosive batting from him at his favourite ground. KKR, on the other hand, are playing at home…
