Anukul Roy is congratulated by his team-mates after getting his maiden IPL wicket © BCCI
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When Rohit Sharma walks out at the toss at Eden Gardens on Sunday night, he’d be looking to extend Mumbai Indians’ eight-game unbeaten run over Kolkata Knight Riders that now stands 1,445 days unbroken. But if there’s ever a night for the hosts to change that statistic, it would be Sunday. Languishing at sixth place with eight points, and needing victories in their last three matches to even dream of a playoff spot, Knight Riders can bid the season goodbye if they lose their seventh-straight IPL game (and fifth-straight at home).
After Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine found turn in the game against Rajasthan Royals, Dinesh Karthik may consider bringing Kuldeep Yadav back after he’s spent two games in the dugout. Their pacers have been poor in the Powerplay, taking only six wickets in the period, and is an extra reason for Karthik to go back to Knight Riders’ old formula of spin.
For Mumbai Indians, just one victory in their final three games would be enough for the playoffs, but they’ll be aiming a top-two finish, and a chance to play Qualifier 1 at the Chepauk – a ground where they haven’t lost an IPL match since May 2011. Mumbai and India fans alike would’ve enjoyed Rohit’s maiden half-century of the season in their convincing win over Chennai Super Kings, and the duo of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya could inflict enormous damage on Knight Riders’ pace bowlers at a ground where the ball travels far.
Lasith Malinga comes into the contest with a four-for in his last match and, in Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar, Mumbai have potent spin options to match Knight Riders player-for-player. Thus it’s not much of a surprise that Mumbai start as clear favourites, but they’ll remain wary of the chutzpah that Knight Riders will come in with, given they have nearly nothing more to lose.
In the news
Left-arm fast bowler Beuran Hendricks, Mumbai’s replacement for the injured Alzarri Joseph, has linked up with the team but is unlikely to get a look-in unless Malinga needs rest. Mumbai left-arm spinner Anukul Roy made a promising IPL debut with 1 for 11 in Chennai and has impressed enough to merit another opportunity.
Likely XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Andre Russell, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Prasidh Krishna
Mumbai Indians: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Anukul Roy, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit Bumrah
Strategy punt
- It’s time for Knight Riders to go all in, so don’t be surprised if Australian fast-bowler Matt Kelly comes into the side for Carlos Brathwaite. In his short T20 career, Kelly has picked up a wicket every 15.4 deliveries in the Powerplay and concedes only 7.20 runs per over. 52.8% of the 24-year-old’s deliveries in Powerplays have been dots. Apart from an impressive strike-rate of 11.40 in the final four overs, eight of his 19 wickets have come off yorkers or offcutters – two important deliveries in the death overs.
- Piyush Chawla, Knight Riders’ regular new-ball bowler, may be held back for later in the innings. Hardik Pandya has scored only 100 runs in 98 deliveries against right-arm legspinners since IPL 2018 and has been out six times to them.
- Mumbai should aim to save two overs of Bumrah and Malinga for the final five overs. When they bowl in tandem at the death, Mumbai concede only 8.50 runs per over at an average of a wicket every 13.50 runs. If there’s any other combination bowling for Mumbai at the death, they concede 11.40 runs per over.
Stats and trivia
- If Knight Riders lose their ninth-straight game to Mumbai, then it will be the worst streak for any IPL team. They enter the contest tied for the record at eight losses with Kings XI Punjab (Knight Riders, 2014-17) and Delhi Daredevils (Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2011-2015)
- It will be Rohit Sharma’s 100th game as IPL captain
Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo