We are just moments away from the start of the final match of group stage between the three-time champions Mumbai Indians and the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders. It will be a huge battle between the two teams who will be eager for a victory today. While a victory will give Mumbai Indians a chance to finish at the top two, a victory for Kolkata Knight Riders means they will make it through to the playoffs as the 4th team.
Mumbai Indians booked their playoffs berth after winning the Super over clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They have produced some exceptional performances in the recent past which have meant that they are just a victory away to finish at the top two of the points table. The likes of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya will play a massive role if Mumbai wants to win today’s clash.
Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, will be upbeat after defeating Mumbai Indians not many days ago. The likes of Chris Lynn and Shubhman Gill has looked in great touch in the last few matches and will look to help KKR win their final group clash and sneak through to the playoffs.
Result of the Toss:
The toss was won by Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma and they decided to bowl first.
Here is what the captains said:
Rohit Sharma:
We are going to bowl. The last few decisions we have made on this surface have been based on the opposition. Today we wanted to see a total on the board and then see how we go from there. It is important but at the moment we don’t want to think about it. We are more focused on playing good cricket. Not worry about the table.
It is the last league game, we want to focus on good cricket. We have two changes – Mitch McClenaghan for Lewis and Ishan Kishan for Sran. It gets you into the momentum and the playing pressure games are always important going forward. We had a great game last time. It was not a great total, but the bowlers came out and bowled well.
Dinesh Karthik:
Everybody is as calm as we can get. It is important game for both teams and they will come firing. One change – Prasidh comes in place of Piyush. They have done a good job so far in the tournament. Obviously both are quality players, so we expect them to deliver.
Playing XI’s
Mumbai Indians:
Rohit Sharma(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga
Kolkata Knight Riders:
(Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Harry Gurney, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna