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Preview: M24 - MI vs KKR
28 Apr, 2016
Preview: M24 - MI vs KKR
27 Apr, 2016
What
In the first of the return fixtures of VIVO IPL 2016, the Mumbai Indians will play host to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
MI have blown hot and cold this season. They’ve beaten two of the best teams in the competition – KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore, chasing stiff targets in both those matches. But then there have been days, especially when batting first, when they’ve failed to assess par scores and have struggled to come to grips with the conditions. Parthiv Patel coming good with the bat in the previous match would have at least for the moment silenced calls for Unmukt Chand or Martin Guptill to be included in the XI.
The Kolkata Knight Riders are an extremely balanced unit and it therefore no surprise that they have four wins from five outings. Even the one defeat they’ve suffered – was one of those rare bad days in the office. It seldom happens that a team scores 187 runs yet loses the match; it happened to KKR in their home fixture against MI. But KKR returned to doing things the way they do it from the following game; they have now won three matches on the bounce and look good for a long run. Despite Manish Pandey being sidelined because of chickenpox, KKR have found an able replacement in Suryakumar Yadav, who starred in the win against Rising Pune Supergiants.
When
28 April 2016, 2000 Hrs IST
Where
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Weather
Temperature: Max 31°c, Min 30°c
Humidity: Max 70%
Wind: 15kmph
The Protagonists
Though it was Parthiv Patel who top-scored and set-up the win against Kings XI Punjab, for MI to be a force, they need their captain to score big and other players to contribute around him. Despite being dismissed for a second-ball duck in the previous match, Rohit is still MI’s top run-getter, with an aggregate of 230 runs. Not only does he score runs in a manner pleasing to the eye, but Rohit is capable of playing the role of accumulator early on before seamlessly switching gears to score quickly in the latter part of the innings. Ambati Rayudu plays an important role too; since his promotion to number three, he has made scores of 54, 31, 25 & 65, often holding the innings together.
On the bowling front, MI’s pace bowlers have been at the forefront of the damage inflicted on the opposition. Tim Southee has been impressive upfront, while Mitchell McClenaghan has bowled with good pace and has mixed up his lengths very well. Jasprit Bumrah was slow to hit the straps, but the 22-year old appears to have found his radar now.
There’s been a method to KKR’s success, and the team has employed that template for good returns. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa often play a huge role in the team’s success. A solid start from the opening pair and a good performance from their new one-drop batsman – expected to be Suryakumar Yadav – only sets up for their explosive middle-order. KKR have plenty of options on the bowling front, and in a match which is expected to be a run fest, Sunil Narine’s four overs could have a huge influence on the outcome.
Head to Head
The Mumbai Indians will claim a huge psychological edge in their match against Kolkata Knight Riders. The two teams have so far clashed 17 teams, with MI winning 12 and KKR winning the remaining five. In matches at the Wankhede Stadium, the match-up is even more lopsided, with the hosts MI winning four of the five matches.
Trivia
In the 14 T20 matches played at the Wankhdede Stadium so far this year, 12 have been won by teams chasing.
The Mumbai Indians top the list where sixes in VIVO IPL 2016 are concerned; they’ve hit the most sixes – 40, and have conceded the most too – 41.
Mumbai Indians’ average run-rate while batting first this season is 7.44. In run-chases, their average run-rate this season is 8.97.
Kieron Pollard and Parthiv Patel have both played 99 IPL matches so far. If they take the field on Thursday, they will join an elite club of 19 players with 100 or more IPL caps.
In 11 matches against the Knight Riders, Rohit Sharma has scored 471 runs at an average of 58.88. The MI captain has a taste for KKR, for he scored his maiden IPL hundred against them and has three other fifties to his name.
What Next
The Mumbai Indians travel to neighbouring Pune to take on the Rising Pune Supergiants on May 1. The Knight Riders meanwhile head to the national capital Delhi where they are scheduled to clash with the Delhi Daredevils on April 30.
