KKR vs MI Team, Probable Playing XI, Toss, Pitch and Match Preview: Over a period, MI have dominated this fixture of the IPL. Having won 21 out of 27 matches Mumbai walks in confidently despite losing the season opener.
Early days into the tournament, both sides would like to rectify the errors committed in the first game. The positives out of the first game for Mumbai were the two debutants Lynn and Jansen. Lynn, who initially struggled on the two-pace wicket, might still make way for de Kock who is available against KKR. Tripathi and Rana, riding high on confidence, would like to replicate their match winning performances.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR has a balanced bowling unit which can utilize the slow and sluggish Chepauk wicket. Harbhajan Singh, who bowled just a single over in the last match, might still start the proceedings for KKR. The veteran Indian off spinner has dismissed de Kock and Ishan Kishan on four occasions. KKR must use Pat Cummins against H Pandya and Pollard as they have shown vulnerability against the quick bowlers bowling back of length or short.
Mumbai Indians
MI’s bowling coach Zaheer Khan indicated that Kieron Pollard is being considered as a bowling option ahead of Hardik Pandya to manage Pandya’s workload. Considering KKR’s Batting line up with three left-handed batsmen, Mumbai might replace Rahul Chahar with Jayant Yadav. The MI opening pair of Sharma and de Kock have scored 1,025 in 28 matches including fifty plus scores and a century partnership.
Pitch Condition and Toss
The wicket has not turned a lot but certainly is slow and sluggish by nature. Timing the ball is not easy; batsman must spend time in the middle to get going. Bowlers who offer variations with pace will hold an upper hand. Overall, 175 looks like a par score. Despite the previous result, the team winning the toss will opt to bowl first.
Probable Playing XI
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan ©, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shakib Al-Hasan, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Harbhajan Singh and Varun Chakravarthy.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma ©, Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Marco Jansen, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah.
Match Details
Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians
Date & Time: 13th April 2021, 07:30 pm IST
Live Telecast: Star Sports Network & Disney + Hotstar
Pivotal Players
Kolkata Knight Riders: Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav
Clean Hitters
Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan and Nitish Rana
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard
Death Over Bowlers
Kolkata Knight Riders: Andre Russell and Pat Cummins
Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Marco Jansen
KKR vs MI Dream11 Wicket-keepers
Quinton de Kock is my first-choice keeper. The South African southpaw has scored 628 runs in the power play overs since 2019 IPL. Flamboyant Ishan Kishan is my second-choice wicketkeeper for his aggressive approach and hard-hitting abilities. I have selected him over Dinesh Karthik only because he bats higher up the order.
KKR vs MI Dream11 Batsman
Rohit Sharma is my first-choice batsman, he has scored 939 runs against KKR, which is most by an individual against a particular franchise. Suryakumar Yadav is the second batsman in my team for his abilities to play big shots and bat throughout the innings. I am taking a bit of a gamble by selecting Shubman Gill over Nitish Rana who played an excellent knock in the first match. I expect Yadav to bowl at the top of the innings which might trouble Rana. Rahul Tripathi is my fourth Batsman I anticipate him to come into bat in a situation where he must get going right from the beginning.
KKR vs MI Dream11 All-Rounders
Power bank of KKR Andre Russell is my first choice not only because he is a threatening batsman but he also bowls during the death overs where he is more likely to pick up wickets. Shakib Al-Hasan bowled a decent spell in the first match, I anticipate him to do better against MI. If Rana gets out early, he might bat higher up the order.
KKR vs MI Dream11 Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah is my first-choice bowler, for his abilities to pick up wickets with the new ball and during the death overs. His variations make him an effective bowler at Chepauk. KKR mystery bowler Varun Chakravarthy who had an average outing against SRH is still my second choice for his ability to deceive batsmen with his variations. I am anticipating Jayant Yadav to replace Rahul Chahar, specially to contain the KKR left-handed batsmen higher up the order.
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.