MI vs KKR IPL 2023 Match Preview
(Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders)
Pressure mounts for Suryakumar Yadav and Andre Russell ahead of MI vs KKR clash.
Two players, Suryakumar Yadav and Andre Russell, are under pressure to perform well in the upcoming IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.
MI - Mumbai Indians won their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals after losing two consecutive games to RCB and CSK. They will now face KKR at Wankhede Stadium on April 16, 2023. In their previous match against DC, MI bowled well to restrict the opposition to 172 runs, with Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff taking three wickets each. MI's openers, Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma, provided a strong start to the chase, with Rohit scoring a half-century and Tilak Verma contributing a quick 42 runs. However, MI still needs to address their bowling issues as they lack an experienced fast bowler. They will rely on their strong batting lineup against KKR.
KKR - KKR lost their first match but won two consecutive games against RCB and GT. However, they couldn't continue their momentum in the last game against SRH and are now set to face MI in Mumbai. Although they had some successes, Andre Russel's injury and the team's batting struggles have been a concern. Captain Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh tried to chase the target in the last match, but it wasn't enough. KKR has a balanced team with good spin bowlers, but they need to work on their opening partnership and analyze the conditions for their upcoming game against MI. However, Kolkata Knight Riders will play an away afternoon match against Mumbai Indians just 48 hours after their previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Russell has been underwhelming with his batting in recent games, failing to deliver runs when needed. However, the team management is still supporting him, citing cramps and the belief that he can deliver with the bat. Kolkata Knight Riders have other problems as well, including poor performance in powerplay overs and expensive death over bowling.
Venue
Wankhede Stadium - Boundaries are short, but in the previous game, Chennai Super Kings chased down a target of 157 with ease. The pitch is expected to assist bowlers with the new ball, as two wickets fell in the powerplay phase. The spin bowlers were successful in taking seven out of the ten wickets that fell in the previous game.
Favours :
- The pitch can be good for spinners.
Post TOSS
- The side winning the toss will opt to bat first.
Average 1st Inning score
Average 1st innings score : 165 runs.
Team News
In the event that Archer is not available, it is expected that Riley Meredith will remain in the team. Additionally, MI is considering the inclusion of Kumar Kartikeya in place of Hrithik Shokeen, and there is a possibility that Jofra Archer may replace Riley Meredith.
Knight Riders are hoping that Russell's fitness improves as he reportedly experienced cramps. However, if he is unable to play, David Wiese may be selected as a replacement.
Head to Head
Expected Playing XI (Batting order)
Mumbai Indians (MI) Possible Playing 11
1 Rohit Sharma (C), 2 Ishan Kishan (Wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Hrithik Shokeen, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Jason Behrendoff.
Kolkata Knigh Riders (KKR) Possible Playing 11
1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk) 2 N Jagadeesan, 3 Nitish Rana (C), 4 Andre Russell/David Wiese, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Shardul Thakur, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Lockie Ferguson, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Suyash Sharma.
Stats Fact
- Rohit Sharma is just 44 runs away from becoming the fourth Indian batter to reach the 6000-run mark in the IPL. He also needs five more sixes to become the first Indian batter, and third overall, to hit 250 sixes in the tournament.
- Both, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have an impressive average of over 42 against KKR.
- Rinku Singh has been performing exceptionally well in T20 cricket since 2021, with an average of over 48 and a striking rate of 146
- Sunil Narine is expected to bowl one over during the powerplay in each match this season, given his record of dismissing Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma seven times in the IPL - the most by any bowler.
Selections for Fantasy cricket (Dream 11)
- Ishan Kishan - He has been displaying glimpses of his form with scores of 31 (26) and 32 (21) in the last few games. He has 1943 runs in 73 innings at a strike rate of 131.91, making him an explosive batter.
- Rinku Singh - He has been brilliant for the Knight Riders with the bat, scoring 156 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 175.28 this season.
- Sunil Narine - He has been a decent performer with the ball in IPL 2023, picking up six wickets in four matches at an average of 19.50. He can also add value with the bat, making him a top pick for the MI vs KKR Dream11 prediction team.
- Jason Behrendorff - He has been a fine exponent of swing bowling, often taking wickets in the powerplay phase. He was brilliant with the ball in the previous game against the Delhi Capitals, picking up three wickets.
- Nitish Rana - He has been in good form lately, scoring a fine fifty against SunRisers Hyderabad in his last IPL 2023 outing. He has 145 runs in four innings at a healthy strike rate. Recommended for : Vice Captain
- Suryakumar Yadav - He has not been in great form this season, but he has a decent record against the Kolkata Knight Riders with 337 runs in nine matches, including three fifties. He is also one of the best in the business with an IPL strike rate in excess of 130. Recommended for : Captain
- Varun Chakravarthy - He has been a decent performer for the Knight Riders this season, picking up six wickets in four matches. He has a few variations up his sleeve and has been used aggressively by the Knight Riders in terms of bowling at the death as well.
Prediction for Match result
Kolkata Knight Riders may win the match.