MI vs KKR Match Preview
The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan finally managed to get some runs under their belts and got the team off to a brisk start. They will be hoping to put up a repeat performance here.
Tilak Varma has been pretty solid at number 3. However, the form of Surya Kumar Yadav as well as Tim David and Cameron Green remains a cause of concern for the team. These batters are far too talented to fail for very long and we fancy their matchups against the weak KKR bowling unit.
Jason Behrendorff picked up a 3-wicket haul against the Delhi Capitals and will once again lead the pace attack along with Riley Meredith. Piyush Chawla is the lone full-time spinner in the team and the Mumbai Indians will have to depend on part-timers like Hrithik Shokeen to fill in during the middle overs.
Nitesh Rana played a brilliant knock under pressure and Rinku Singh scored a quick-fire half-century to show that his match-winning inning against the Gujarat Titans was not a fluke.
However, the top order will need to perform better here. N Jagadeesan and Venkatesh Iyer have squandered away good starts this season. They will need to stay longer on the crease and play a big knock to be more helpful to the team. In the bowling department, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur have managed to take just 1 wicket in 4 matches, while Lockie Ferguson has managed just 1 in 2 matches.
The Knight Riders will have to get back Tim Southee back in the mix soon to add bite to their pace attack. In the meantime, they will depend on Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy to bowl well during the middle overs.
Weather Report
The weather will remain warm and humid with temperatures of between 30-35 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai offers a good pitch to bat on. The boundaries are on the shorter side and the consistent bounce allows the batsmen to play their shots. The average first-inning score here is around 170. However, teams batting first will be hoping to get closer to 200. There are some green patches on the pitch which will generate some movement. Since this is a day match, dew will not be much of a factor.
Notable stats
Sunil Narine’s Excellent Economy Rate
Sunil Narine is one of the most miserly bowlers in the history of IPL. In 152 matches, he has bowled at an economy rate of 6.65 runs per over and has picked up 158 wickets.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side but there is a bit of a cloud over the availability of Andre Russell for this match.
MI vs KKR Probable 11
MI Playing 11
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Surya Kumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Cameron Green
- Tim David
- Hrithik Shokeen
- Piyush Chawla
- Arshad Khan
- Jason Behrendorff
- Nehal Wadhera
KKR Playing 11
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- N Jagadeesan
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Nitesh Rana (C)
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Sunil Narine
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Shardul Thakur
- Umesh Yadav
- Lockie Ferguson
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Mumbai Indians to win here. We think they are far too strong a batting side and could dominate a weak KKR bowling lineup. This contest is being played at the Wankhede, a venue that should suit MI and the fact that Andre Russell might not be available tilts the scales even more in favor of the home team.
Top Picks
Rinku Singh: While Rinku Singh has been playing the IPL since 2018, no one took much note of his talent until this season. He has shown excellent temperament and can hit the big shots with ease.
Nitesh Rana: Rana has been a consistent performer for the KKR over the years. The added responsibility of captaincy seems to be bringing out the best in him and he has already played some good innings this season.
Tilak Varma: Varma is the top-scorer for the Mumbai Indians this season and has scored 147 runs at an average of 73.50. Playing on home turf, Varma will be looking to play another match-winning inning here.
MI vs KKR Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: I Kishan, R Gurbaz
Batters: R Sharma, N Rana (C), S Yadav, R Singh, T Varma
All-rounders: S Narine (VC), S Thakur
Bowlers: V Chakravarthy, J Behrendorff
