Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face off against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024 this Friday, with both teams occupying contrasting positions on the points table. KKR, currently second with 12 points from nine games, are eyeing a playoff berth, a realistic goal for the two-time IPL champions if they can maintain consistency in their performance. Conversely, the Mumbai Indians, despite their history of five championships, find themselves struggling at the lower end of the standings this season.
Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, KKR have shown potential but also vulnerability, with three losses in their last six games. These defeats have exposed some areas of concern, particularly in their bowling department. Mitchell Starc, a key bowler for KKR, has been expensive, conceding nearly 12 runs an over across eight matches, capturing only seven wickets. His struggles on flat pitches have been a significant factor in the team's inconsistent performances.
In contrast, Vaibhav Arora has emerged as a reliable bowler for KKR, taking nine wickets in five games. With matches at Wankhede Stadium known for high scores, KKR’s strategy will likely focus on bolstering their bowling attack to manage the batting-friendly conditions.
The team's batting lineup, however, has been robust, with an aggressive approach that has often paid dividends. Yet, the spotlight will also be on Rinku Singh, whose omission from India's T20 World Cup squad has garnered widespread sympathy. Despite his potential, limited game time this season may have impacted his selection chances.
For Mumbai Indians, the path to the playoffs is fraught with challenges. Even with potential wins in all their remaining games, reaching a competitive position in the playoffs remains uncertain. Their season has been marred by a lack of consistency, particularly from their batsmen. Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee have performed well with the ball, but the batting lineup has failed to capitalize on their efforts.
Tilak Varma has been a standout performer for MI, scoring 343 runs including three fifties, but his efforts have not been enough to compensate for the overall batting failures. Additionally, Ishan Kishan’s inconsistent performances at the top and frequent losses of wickets in the powerplay have been detrimental to the team’s strategy.
With the T20 World Cup looming, the form of India’s skipper Rohit Sharma will also be under scrutiny, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, whose performances have not matched the high expectations set for them.
Team News
Mohammad Nabi hasn't made any significant impact for the Mumbai Indians in the past few games and he may get replaced by Romario Shepherd at the Wankhede. For KKR, Harshit Rana will serve a 1-match suspension and isn't available. Chetan Sakariya, who has warmed the bench so far this season, may finally get some game time.
Head-to-head record
Historically, Mumbai Indians have dominated KKR, highlighted by the fact that in 32 contests between the two sides, MI won 23 and KKR only 9.
Weather Report
A hot and humid evening in Mumbai will greet the two teams, with temperatures expected to be in the 30-32°C range.
Probable XIs
MI Probable XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah
KKR Probable XI: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakaravarthy
Full squads
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Piyush Chawla, Luke Wood, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Shams Mulani, Dewald Brevis, Kumar Kartikeya, Shreyas Gopal, Harvik Desai, Gerald Coetzee, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Dushmantha Chameera, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mitchell Starc, Allah Ghazanfar, Sakib Hussain, Sherfane Rutherford, Chetan Sakariya, Nitish Rana, Srikar Bharat
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(With PTI inputs)