The Mumbai Indians face the Kolkata Knight Riders in match 32 at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Here’s the analysis.
The SWOT for MI
Strengths: They have a pace attack that can scythe through the opposition. Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and James Pattinson have collectively got 31 wickets so far. The three have been well supported by Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya. It is due to the consistency of these five that MI have currently used the least number of bowlers (six) in the league.
Weaknesses: At the moment, there aren’t any obvious weak links for MI.
Opportunities: Rohit Sharma could try out Mitchell McClenaghan and Nathan Coulter-Nile (if fit) before the play-offs. It will be good for the team if these two have some match practice before the crucial play-off matches.
Threats: MI could be in some trouble if any of the five first-choice bowlers are injured. It would disturb the settled bowling unit. MI are in a great position to clinch a play-off spot, so Rohit Sharma should guard his players against fatigue and burnout.
The SWOT for KKR
Strengths: The Indian players have delivered. Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi have all made valuable contributions. Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Prasidh Krishna have embraced bowling in challenging situations. The team has gotten stronger as the tournament has progressed. Captain Dinesh Karthik has evolved as a leader and employed tactics that have rattled the opposition.
Weaknesses: Pat Cummins has got only two wickets in seven matches. KKR need his impact bowling for the crucial games but he is not at his best at the moment. Andre Russell’s form with the bat is also a concern. An injury in the field in a previous match has not helped matters.
Opportunities: Should KKR continue with Tom Banton? He looked nervous in his IPL debut but he needs to be given more time. Rahul Tripathi and Tom Banton can be a good opening combo with Gill at no. 3. The cloud over Narine’s bowling action has hampered KKR’s progress. Can someone else step up?
Threats: KKR are currently in fourth place in the points table but three teams are one win away from them. A loss would open the door for others to overtake them.
Head to head:
Matches played: 26
Mumbai Indians: 20
Kolkata Knight Riders: 6
Last five matches (most recent first):
Mumbai Indians: W-W-W-W-L
Kolkata Knight Riders: L-W-W-L-W
What happened in the reverse fixture?
Rohit Sharma’s 80 and Jasprit Bumrah’s crucial wickets helped MI trounce KKR by 49 runs.
Deccan Herald’s Dream XI
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, James Pattinson, Jasprit Bumrah
Ground conditions
The temperature is expected to be around 22 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be about 61%. The sky should be clear with a light wind.
Team news
What will KKR do about Sunil Narine? Do they risk him playing him in a match? Can they remedy his bowling action in practice? There are no easy answers. No other injury concerns reported from either camp.
Impact player for MI
Suryakumar Yadav: The middle-order batsman is the leading run-scorer for MI. He has two fifties and has played a crucial role when MI have lost quick wickets. He is a smart cricketer who’s able to find the boundaries at will.
Impact player for KKR
Andre Russell: His batting exploits are legendary. This season, he has come good with the ball but his batting has been lacking something. KKR need him at his best to make the play-offs.
How to watch
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 PM IST.
