IPL 2018 - Match 41 - KKR vs MI Preview

Over 50% of all the Mumbai Indians critics have now disappeared. With two consecutive wins and three wins in their last four matches, they have now moved up to the fifth spot on the IPL 2018 points table. They were down and out a few day back but not only have they won two games, but they have played quality cricket in those two wins as well. Are they looking to complete the impossible task of qualifying for the playoffs?

As for Kolkata Knight Riders, they were one of my pre-tournament favourites before this edition of the Indian Premier League began, but they find ways to lose games and just haven’t been able to stitch together a few wins and keep the momentum. 5 wins in 10 games doesn’t indicate how good a squad they actually have. Let’s also remember that these two played a couple of days back, and Mumbai won by 13 runs.

Teams

Let’s begin with Mumbai. Not a great record so far but the team seems to be putting up a good show of late. Hardik Pandya was in trouble after a horrible 3(19) a few games back but he has hit back hard ever since and won the Man of the Match in the last game, pitching in with the bat and gaining the Purple Cap as well. Suryakumar Yadav has been great with the bat – 4 fifties and 399 runs in IPL 2018 so far. Evin Lewis’ 43 in the last game also shows signs of better starts for MI.

That batting order looks dangerous and in-form, with the possible exception of Rohit Sharma. He does have 2 fifties this season but he hasn’t really found the rhythm. That being said, it won’t take time to hit form if he gets to bat around the others who are in form. The team combination seems to be much better now, with Cutting replacing The Fizz, who was leaking a lot of runs and JP Duminy coming in for Pollard who wasn’t contributing at all. Signs are good for MI at the moment.

Looking at KKR, there are a few positives and a few negatives. The young Shivam Mavi missed the last game with an injury but he maaaay be fit for this game, and he will be a much better option than Prasidh Krishna. Also, Nitish Rana made his return to the side which greatly strengthened the middle order. However, they have one big issue in the Johnson-Curran bowler’s spot. They have kept switching the two in and out but to be honest, none have been effective.

Shubman Gill’s promotion to the top of the order was an instinctive move, seeing his good form but he failed at the top and the X-factor of Sunil Narine at the top is now no longer a threat to opponents. He is not even half as effective when he comes out to bat at number 7 or 8, against the older ball. One wicket Mumbai will be looking to prize out is that of Dinesh Karthik. I think he is in mind-blowing form and he may just promote himself up the order in this game.

Overall

I am a huge Kolkata Knight Riders fan but it has been years since they last beat Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League – 8th April 2015 to be precise, meaning that MI have won the last 7 encounters between the two. Back Mumbai Indians to ride the momentum and win at Eden Gardens!

IPL 2018 – Match 41 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians Preview

Teams

Overall

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