IPL 2021 preview: Mumbai Indians aims to bounce back against mighty Kolkata Knight Riders
The 2021 Indian Premier League is the 14th edition of the competition. Mumbai Indians is the record five-time defending champion but lost its opening game to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders went off to a winning start against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
FollowThe Indian Premier League 2021 is off to a thrilling and great start. Meanwhile, Match 5 of the tournament would be played between former champion Kolkata Knight Riders and defending champion Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
MI is looking to become the first side to win three successive IPL titles. However, KKR is desperate to add a third in its bag and leave no stones unturned, considering the plethora of young talent it possesses. With an exciting match ahead, we present the preview for the same.
Current form
MI is coming off a loss in its opening game, which has been chiefly its tradition. Having lost by a close margin to Royal Challengers Bangalore, MI has no significant concerns. As for KKR, it had to grind through its bowling to register a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, given the surplus young talent it possesses, it would need one good day for the player to prove their dominance.
Team composition and combination
MI's squad is balanced, with tide focus on its bowling. Meanwhile, its capped talent is equally distributed all across, thus making it a slightly bowing-heavy team. Considering the Chennai track's sporty nature so far, it could move in with a balanced XI. Meanwhile, KKR, too, has a similar combination to MI and is likely to move in with a similar XI.
Injury concerns
Barring the pre-season injury of Rinku Singh and his replacement as Gurkeerat Singh, there are no fresh injury concerns for any of the sides.
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Head-to-head
Overall, both sides have clashed on 26 occasions, with MI winning 21 and KKR winning six. Of the 22 matches in India, MI leads 17-5. they would fight for the first time in Chennai.
Weather and pitch report
Chennai would be hot, with temperature around 32 degrees and humidity around 67%. As for the track, it would be sporty, with the pitch getting spin-friendly later. The team winning the toss would bowl first, keeping the dew factor in mind.
Probable XI
KKR: Eoin Morgan (c), Shubman Gill, Dinesh Kartik, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, Prashidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy and Harbhajan Singh.
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Quinton De Kock, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar and Marco Jensen.
Fantasy XI
Batsmen: Lynn (vc), Rana (c), Tripathi- Rana and Tripathi are the ones to give the start following their display in the last game, while Lynn can consolidate at number three. Rana's form makes him the skipper, while Lynn's reliability makes him his deputy.
Wicketkeepers: Karthik, Kishan- Kishan is the man in form and is expected to fire with the bat, while Karthik can play the innings in the middle overs and build the innings.
All-rounders: Shakib, Russell, Krunal- Shakib and Krunal are the ones who are likely to dominate mostly with their spin, while Russell is known to be equally effective in all departments.
Bowlers: Bumrah, Krishna, Jansen- Bumrah is a no-brainer here for his lethal pace and yorkers, along with Krishna. Jansen has been in form and is once again likely to trouble the batsmen with his frantic pace.
Match details
Date and day: April 13, 2021 (Tuesday)
Venue: MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) stadium, Chennai
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar
