IPL 2021 MI vs. KKR Preview: Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders, Best pics for Match No 34
The two fierce competitors have gone through the most challenging conditions this season and are about to compete at Abu Dhabi, where bowlers dominate.
Overview
Mumbai Indians return to Abu Dhabi, a venue where they have enjoyed a significant amount of success. Last season Mumbai Indians won 6 out of 8 matches played at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders have won 5 out of their 8 games played in Abu Dhabi. More importantly, Mumbai Indians emerged victorious in both the games at this venue against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Stats that Matter
Since the inception of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians have collided on 28 occasions against the Kolkata Knight Riders and have emerged victorious on 22 occasions. In the previous 5 matches, the Mumbai Indians have significantly won 4 matches against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
In the previous five innings, MI’s average score during the Power Play overs has been 56 for 2, whereas in Abu Dhabi, it decreases to 48 for 2. In the last 5 innings during the death overs, MI has, on average, scored only 36 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, but against KKR, the average death over score creeps up to 40 for 2 wickets.
In the last two seasons, KKR, on average, has surprisingly managed to score just 28 runs and has lost 1.5 wickets. Against MI, their performance has dipped, and on average, they have scored only 25 runs for 2 wickets.
Seam/Fast bowlers have enjoyed the lion’s share in Abu Dhabi in the last five matches. The fast bowlers have picked up 74% of the wickets compared to the spinners who have managed the remaining 24%.
Mumbai hopes that skipper Rohit Sharma gets back in action. In 28 innings against KKR, the batting maestro has scored 982 runs with an average of 46.76 runs at a strike rate of 133.33.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Last season Mumbai Indians had acclimatized well to the conditions in Abu Dhabi. Despite the average score being 155 for 7, Mumbai Indians on an average, scored 187 for 5. Rohit Sharma’s presence might have a significant impact on the game. Jasprit Bumrah has successfully contained Andre Russell; the big Jamaican has lost his wicket thrice in four matches against Bumrah.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
There have been no injury scares in the KKR dugout. With four left-handed batters in the MI batting lineup, Morgan & Co. may fancy playing Harbhajan Singh in place of Sunil Narine. With Sharma missing from the lineup and Pandya misfiring this season, KKR looks like a better side on paper, which might be their chance to outperform their rivals.
Match Details, Pitch Report & Toss
Match No 34: Indian Premier League
Match: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Date & Time: 23rd September 2021, Thursday – 7:30 PM IST
Live Telecast: Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
The wicket favors seam/fast bowlers. Batting in the first half has looked difficult. With time we can expect the wicket to settle down. The side winning the toss will opt to bowl first. In the previous game, we also noticed some dew in the second half of the game.
Clean Hitters
Mumbai Indians: Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer and Dinesh Karthik
Death Over Specialists
Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult
Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell, Lockie Ferguson and Prasidh Krishna
5 Must-Have players in your fantasy team
Andre Russell, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Adam Milne/Lockie Ferguson and Varun Chakravarthy.
Fantasy League Disclaimer: All our selections are based on in-depth and astute analysis of the players partaking in the match, pitch report and a perusal of other reasoning. Please incorporate a slew of factors while crafting your own side with this article serving as a guide to the match and players. Pictures used in this post are the courtesy of the respective official Instagram handles of teams and players and are for representational purposes only.
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