Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi
Pro Tip: Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill, the most consistent batsman for either side are your main men.
Our XI: Quinton de Kock, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Shubman Gill(vc), Tom Banton, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy
Substitutes: Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya, Prasidh Krishna, Pat Cummins
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.
Player availability: Sunil Narine is likely to miss this game as well for the Knight Riders
Captain: Suryakumar Yadav
Yadav was getting off to good starts in the initial stages of the tournament but failed to convert them into big scores. In the last couple of games though, it seems like he has hit the right chord, scoring match-winning fifties. He is the highest run-getter for Mumbai so far this season and is looking good to stay on top of that table.
Vice-captain: Shubman Gill
Gill has by far been the most consistent batsman for the Knight Riders this season. He has looked solid at the top, at ease against most bowling attacks. He has scored two fifties in the tournament so far and both of them have come at this venue.
Also see: Match centre – Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders
Hot Picks
Rohit Sharma : Sharma has blown hot and cold this season, scoring a couple of crucial fifties but otherwise generally falling cheaply. The last time these two teams met, at the same venue, he scored a dominating 80. Sharma is a punt worth taking because once he gets going, it is really hard to stop him.
Andre Russell : Russell has played a bigger role with the ball than with the bat this season for the Knight Riders. He is their highest wicket-taker with 6 wickets. He has been very good at the death, picking up 5 wickets at a strike-rate of 10.8 in the last four overs of the innings. He could be picked just for his bowling but a big knock with the bat can also never be discounted.
Jasprit Bumrah : After a quiet start to the tournament, Bumrah is back among the wickets and is rapidly closing in on the purple cap. He has picked up 8 wickets in the last four games at an economy of 6.56. His ability to pick up wickets in the middle overs has come to the fore this IPL, with 5 scalps during those stages at an economy of 4.8 and a strike-rate of 12.
Differential Picks
Tom Banton
Banton is an explosive option who could get you loads of points if he gets going. He has a strike-rate of 158.59 in the powerplay, the third best among all batsmen who have scored 500 or more runs in the format since 2019.
Varun Chakravarthy: Chakravarthy has been very impressive so far. He has bowled excellent lengths, making it hard for batsmen to go after him. He has been the most economical bowler (7.45) for the Knight Riders this season (min 2 overs) and has also picked up 5 wickets.
Alternate Scenarios
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If Banton is left out, replace him with Rahul Tripathi as he is likely to open the batting.
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Sharma is also a captain option given he has scored two fifties against the Knight Riders in his last two innings and one of those have come at this very venue.
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Since the pitches are slowing down, we have picked Chakravarthy over Prasidh Krishna but if the Knight Riders bowl first, Krishna is a better option simply because he has taken a wicket every 12 balls this season.