IPL 2017: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders; Five Players To Watch Out For

Under Pressure of post-Steven Smith’s blistering innings, Mumbai Indians (MI) will be fretting over their team combination as they take on a daunting Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League 2017 encounter, on Sunday (April 9) at Wankhede Stadium.

Both teams had contrasting results in their opening games with Mumbai Indians losing to Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets, while KKR thrashing Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets, scoring the highest opening stand in history of the cash-rich league

The MI team management may be forced to make a couple of changes to bolster the bowling attack which suffered in the match against Pune.

In these circumstances, Lasith Malinga, fresh from a T20 hat-trick may replace Tim Southee in the bowling attack and the seasoned spinner Harbhajan Singh, after a baffling exclusion may come in place of Krunal Pandya.

Both teams, Mumbai, and Kolkata have been champions of the IPL two times proving their success in the competition.

As can be clearly seen in the table below, Mumbai Indians have the upper hand in the battle. Out of the seventeen fixtures between these two sides, Kolkata has only managed to win only five out of it.

Let’s look through the five players to watch out in this not-so-easy battle at the Wankhede stadium.

1. Gautam Gambhir: Gambhir has been the backbone of KKR’s batting and has inspired his fellow teammates with his aggressive display of cricket over the passing age. The skipper led the side from the front in the previous season, the opening batsman smashed five half-centuries in IPL 2016, scoring 501 runs from 15 matches played. And the way he played the other day against the Lion’s, a complete master class batting display, hitting those shots right and perfect and that was all dandy for the Knight Riders captain, who racked up his 32nd IPL fifty, two short of David Warner’s record. He scored 76*off 48 balls with 12 fours, equalling the second most he has hit in T20 innings. It is the second-highest individual score in the IPL without a six behind Mandeep Singh’s 77* in 2013. Definitely, the way he took charge of the spin bowlers last night is going to be a concern for the MI camp
2. Chris Lynn: Even if I didn’t mention this name, he must have already come in nightmares of the team to haunt them with those humongous sixes. This Queenslander, Big Bash top performer for the first time came to open the batting lineup for KKR along with the skipper and thus started the woes of the lions in Rajkot, Lynnatic, Lynsannitic or rather Lynsane innnings, whatever you term but it definitely reminded people of McCullum’s innings of 158* in 2008. When both openers put up the highest stand in T20 history, and with such explosive out of park shots, the teams got to be in a big puddle of water.
3. Kuldeep Yadav: The Indian chinaman bowler has been known for mysterious and sudden destructions of batting lineups, be it in the Dharamsala Test against Australia or on many occasion for the Rider’s camp. Friday night was no exception in showing his skills. KKR has handy wrist spinners in Piyush Chawla and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav to call upon and exploit any perceived weakness in the MI’s top order.
4. Lasith Malinga: The Sri Lankan star missed the first match for the franchise but he is ready to take part in this game fresh from his achievement against Bangladesh in 2nd T20I. Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga added another feather in his cap as he became only the second bowler to grab a hat-trick in both ODIs and T20 internationals. Malinga achieved the milestone during the second T20 international against Bangladesh in Colombo. The availability of IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker Malinga (143 wickets) will certainly sort MI’s problem in the death overs. He has always been a star player and match winner for his IPL side and his inclusion in the team will not only boost up their performance but a lot of new plethora of slingers coming KKR’s way!
5. 5. Hardik Pandya: Pandya is known not only for his batting exploits but also bowling skills, one of India’s finest spinner is still miles ahead. He is the One man army as must have proved a lot of times for his team. In the last match, though they lost but his sixes and hard hits, in the end, was crucial. He is definitely a player to watch out for in shorter format games!

In fact, vice-captain of KKR, Suryakumar Yadav has scored most of his domestic runs at this ground. In the spin department, KKR appears to have an edge over MI who appear to possess a superior pace bowling arsenal with Malinga and New Zealanders Mitchell McCleanaghan and Tim Southee and Australian Mitchell Johnson to call upon, apart from Indians Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Don’t even forget about Sunil Narine!

An epic battle to stretch out for the two soon! Watch out for it!