After becoming the first team to officially crash out from the ongoing season of the cash-rich league, the Mumbai Indians led by Hardik Pandya, are left with mere formalities as they gear up to face hosts Kolkata Knight Riders captained by Shreyas Iyer, in the 60th match of the Indian Premier League 2024. The clash is scheduled to take place at the iconic Eden Gardens in the City of Joy on Saturday.
As the hosts prepare to play their final home game of the season, the two-time IPL champions will be eager to secure two crucial points against MI. This victory could significantly impact their standings, potentially aiding their journey into the knockout stages, as KKR aims to finish in the top two.
Currently, the team from the east sits comfortably atop the table with 16 points, secured through 8 wins and 3 losses in 11 contested matches. Notably, they boast the best net run rate of +1.453 among all the other 9 teams in the league.
Conversely, MI finds itself languishing at the 9th spot on the points table, having only managed 4 wins and suffered 8 losses in 12 matches.
What has happened so far?
In their initial three matches, Knight Riders displayed sheer brilliance, triumphing over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Delhi Capitals. However, under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, the team faced their first defeat of the season against the five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings.
Subsequently, over the course of their next four matches, KKR’s performance became somewhat erratic. They secured victories against Lucknow Supergiants and RCB but suffered defeats at the hands of Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. Nonetheless, KKR regained their momentum in the following three matches, emerging victorious against DC, Mumbai Indians, and LSG.
On the flip side, the Mark Boucher-coached side experienced a contrasting start to their season, enduring losses in their first three matches against Gujarat Titans, SRH, and RR. However, the team displayed notable improvement in the subsequent four matches, clinching victories against DC, RCB, and PBKS.
Yet, Mumbai’s fortunes took a dire turn in the latter half of the tournament, as they succumbed to four consecutive defeats against RR, DC, LSG, and KKR, dashing their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the ongoing season.
Head to Head Record
In the ongoing saga of their head-to-head battles, KKR and MI have clashed 33 times, meeting at least once every season since the tournament’s inception in 2008. Throughout this enduring rivalry, the Mumbai-based franchise has asserted its dominance, emerging victorious in 23 matches, while the Knight Riders have tasted triumph only 10 times.
In their recent five encounters, Iyer’s squad has emerged as the dominant force, triumphing over their opponents on four occasions despite MI’s historical advantage.
Key Players
Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders): The standout Caribbean all-rounder, Sunil Narine, has been a dominant force this season with his multifaceted skills. Taking on the role of an opening batter for KKR, Narine has surged as the fifth-highest run-scorer, amassing 461 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 41.91 and a blistering strike rate of 183.67.
Notably, he has notched up three half-centuries and his maiden IPL century this season. On the bowling front, Narine continues to weave his magic with his off-break deliveries. As a 35-year-old veteran spinner, he stands as the second-highest wicket-taker for KKR this season, snatching 14 wickets with an average of 20.79 and an economy rate of 6.61.
Suryakumar Yadav is 64 runs away from scoring 500 IPL runs against KKR
Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians): Despite missing the initial three games and enduring a couple of ducks upon his return, Suryakumar Yadav, has emerged as the second-highest run-getter for his team in IPL 2024.
In 9 matches, the former KKR player has hammered 334 runs at an impressive average of 41.75 and a striking rate of 176.71. Yadav’s recent performances have been particularly noteworthy as he powered through with a half-century, falling just short of securing victory for his team in a recent encounter against Kolkata.
However, in the subsequent match against SRH, the 33-year-old batsman showcased his brilliance by smashing his second IPL century, ultimately steering his team to victory with 16 balls to spare.
Team News from Both Camps
KKR’s vice-captain Nitish Rana is currently recuperating from a thumb injury and Rahmanullah Gurbaz has flown back home mid-season signifying that both players are expected to be absent for the forthcoming matches.
Meanwhile, the opposing team, MI, boasts a full roster of available players for the upcoming clash.
Predicted XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer ©, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara
Prediction
After confidently securing victory against MI at Wankhede Stadium only a week ago, the Chandrakant Pandit-coached side now aims and is favorites to extend their winning streak to two consecutive triumphs against the joint-most successful team of IPL this Saturday.