MI look to unsettle KKR at Wankhede: Preview and stats
Mumbai Indians face a stern test at home when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 51 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season on Friday at the Wankhede. It's a must-win scenario for Mumbai, who have struggled to get going this season. They enter this contest on the back of three successive defeats and four losses in five games. Here's more.
Scenario of MI and KKR this season
With three wins and seven defeats from 10 matches, MI are ninth this season (NRR -0.272). MI have played four home games (W2 L2). On the other hand, second-placed KKR have 12 points from nine games (W6 L3). KKR's NRR reads +1.096. KKR have so far played three away matches this season, winning two and losing one.
MI have dominated against KKR in the IPL
MI have dominated the scenes against KKR in the competition's history. Out of the 32 matches played between the two teams, MI have won a staggering 23 times. KKR have emerged victorious on nine occasions. In 10 meetings at the Wankhede Stadium, MI have claimed nine wins against KKR. Overall, KKR have played 16 times here in the IPL (W4 L12).
Pitch report and telecast details
The surface here will help batters. So one expects to see runs flow. Pacers could receive help from the pitch due to slight seam movement with good carry. The match will start from 7:30pm onward. Fans can watch the game live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on the Jio Cinema app and website (free).
Chetan Sakariya could get his maiden KKR cap
For KKR, Harshit Rana has been banned for one match for breaching the IPL code of conduct. This could see left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya get his maiden KKR cap. The rest of the KKR side is well drilled. Mitchell Starc's poor form remains a worry though. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah has been solid and is a threat. Tilak Varma and Tim David remain crucial.
Probable XIs of the two teams
Mumbai Indians probable XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah. Impact Player: Nuwan Thushara. KKR probable XI: Phil Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy. Impact Player: Anukul Roy/Chetan Sakariya.
Decoding the key stats
KKR all-rounder Sunil Narine has scored 372 runs from nine matches at 41.33 (SR: 182.35) this season. With the ball, Narine has collected 11 wickets at 22.45. Bumrah owns 14 scalps this season at just 18.28. His economy rate is 6.40. MI veteran Rohit Sharma is 29 runs shy of the 11,500-run mark in T20s. Versus KKR, Rohit owns 1,040 IPL runs at 41.60.
