IPL 2020, KKR vs MI LIVE: Kolkata Knight Riders take on Mumbai Indians in their first match of the season. (Source: BCCI/File Photo)IPL 2020, KKR vs MI Team Predicted Playing 11 for Today Match LIVE Updates: After failing to make a positive return, Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians will look to secure their first points in the Indian Premier League when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. Since 2013, MI have never won an opening game and the script didn’t change against Chennai Super Kings.
However, winning won’t be that easy especially with Andre Russell in the opposite camp. The Windies all-rounder will be the key player for KKR and is coming into the tournament after a successful Caribbean Premier League outing. He will find support from young Shubman Gill and the skipper Dinesh Karthik, who would look to start the campaign on a rousing note.
IPL 2020 | KKR full squad | MI full squad
Andre Russell will be the key player for KKR (Source: PTI File Photo)
Kolkata Knigh Riders: Dinesh Karthik (captain and wk), Andre Russell, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Varun Chakravarti, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Chris Green, Nikhil Naik, M Siddharth, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahul Chahar, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Jayant Yadav, Aditya Tare (wk), Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kieron Pollard, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Mohsin Khan
KKR: Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Chris Lynn, Ishan Kishan
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik is optimistic that talented India batsman Shubman Gill will exceed all expectations in the current IPL edition.
“Shubman is a quality player. There is a lot of expectation from him around the world, I’m sure he will exceed all expectations and I’m really confident about that,” Karthik said in a virtual interaction ahead of clash against Mumbai Indians. [Read More]
Most teams would be hamstrung if they lose as explosive a bowler as Lasith Malinga. But not Mumbai Indians, whose fast-bowling ammo is unmatched in the league. Helmed by Jasprit Bumrah, fresh and bounding after a timely break, their bowling conglomerate exudes experience, depth, menace and variety, an eclectic bunch capable of transcending the nature of surfaces. So much so that Rohit Sharma is pampered for choice.
Put yourself in his shoes and try to decide which of the two pacers from Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Dhawal Kulkarni would you pick to partner Jasprit Bumrah. They have an equally destructive line-up order, made more destructive by the addition of Chris Lynn. [MI team preview]
South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris is unlikely to be available for Royal Challengers Bangalore's match against Kings XI Punjab on Thursday after suffering a side strain, the team's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said. Morris, who was bought for Rs 10 crore by RCB in a bid to strengthen its weak death bowling department, had also missed the team's opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not lead from the front by dropping himself down the batting order during a mammoth chase, opined former India batsman Gautam Gambhir, tearing into CSK captain's decision to bat at number seven against Rajasthan Royals. The former India opener reckons that if any other captain had done this, he would have drawn a lot of flak but since it is Dhoni, people are not even talking about it. [Read More]
The star performer of the RR vs CSK match last night, Sanju Samson says it was Tewatia's bowling effort which made Royals win. Listen to him:
KKR have match-winners aplenty in this format. Russell provides the x-factor. Eoin Morgan brings in his world-class batting prowess in limited-overs cricket and also his leadership skills on and off the field. Pat Cummins’s strike-rate as a bowler in T20 internationals is 20. His economy rate is below seven runs per over. Cummins is a very handy lower-middle-order batsman as well.
And then, there’s is Narine. Last year, even on green Eden Gardens pitches, the Trinidadian bowled some magnificent spells. The sluggish UAE turfs should make him even more potent. KKR have both match-winning bowlers and batsmen. That’s their biggest strength. [KKR team preview]
KKR: Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Chris Lynn, Ishan Kishan
Kolkata Knigh Riders: Dinesh Karthik (captain and wk), Andre Russell, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Varun Chakravarti, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Chris Green, Nikhil Naik, M Siddharth, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahul Chahar, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Jayant Yadav, Aditya Tare (wk), Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kieron Pollard, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Mohsin Khan
T20 cricket's most destructive batsman Andre Russell is all set to entertain the fans with his brute masculinity as he did in the previous edition. In a video shared by KKR, the Windies all-rounder can be seen practicing the big shots and in the last bit he shatters the camera glass with a powerful drive.
Left-arm fast bowler Trent Boult has backed Jasprit Bumrah to bounce back strongly against Kolkata Knight Riders, after the India pace spearhead had a rare off day in the tournament opener. Bumrah, regarded as India’s best death bowler, leaked 43 runs against Chennai Super Kings in a losing cause in the IPL 2020 opener on Saturday.
“He (Bumrah) is a world class bowler, he is trying very hard over the last couple of days to find rhythm. I am 100 per cent sure he will be on the mark in the coming games,” Boult said.
Grace and strength will be on one side while poise and killer instinct on the other when a revamped Kolkata Knight Riders take on Mumbai Indians.
Since 2013, MI have never won an opening game and the script didn’t change against Chennai Super Kings, who took control of the match during the last 10 overs of the first innings. They will be keen to bounce back while KKR would look for a perfect beginning as it will be a battle between big hitters on both sides on a sluggish Abu Dhabi track.
Hello and welcome to the LIVE COVERAGE of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Today, defending champions Mumbai Indians lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Stay tuned for all the updates from the contest.