Ahmedabad or Chennai—Mumbai Indians (MI) found the same gremlins halting their way at both venues. MI fans would want to spare the details of how they have ended up at the bottom of the table two games into the tournament. While it’s true that they have historically taken time to get into the groove, their faults seem more penetrating this time. A home game seems to be the perfect setting for them to find solutions to the snag that is increasing the tension in the MI camp. They would, however, want to remember the fact that their home advantage did little to protect them from their plight last season when they lost four of seven games at their home ground.
KKR, on the other hand, also started off on the wrong foot. However, they played and lost against the high-flying RCB and have secured one win since then, which is why they are in a better and slightly more relaxed position than MI. The fact that they won an away game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) would give them the confidence they need to contest the iffy MI at their home venue.
Team Overview:
MI came up spectacularly short in both games. Their top-order average has been a tick over 19 in two games so far this season, the lowest among the ten teams. Suryakumar Yadav was decent in their last game against Gujarat Titans (GT), but the lack of help from the rest of the batters hurt them immensely in that game and will continue to do so should they not find a way to set this issue right. Unfortunately for MI, their batting lineup isn’t their only concern. It was no secret that Jasprit Bumrah’s absence would hurt them, but not in the way it did. Their bowlers did the trick to stop GT from breaking past 200 by bowling brilliantly in the death, but they failed to do the same in the opening overs, which did irreparable damage to their winning chances.
But KKR would be heaving a sigh of relief for their compact bowling lineup. They were without Sunil Narine in their last game, but Moeen Ali did not let that hurt them in any way. Such is their depth that they have yet to see Andre Russell, their second-highest wicket-taker from last season, roll his arm over. KKR’s batting lineup had some kinks that were very visible in the opening game, especially concerning the top order, but they were quick to iron them out. However, if there is one thing they should worry about, it’s their middle order. No. 4 to No. 8 fell like a house of cards in their opening game and were not given a chance to do better in the last match. Kolkata will hope their form in the opening game remains an exception. Lastly, their new skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, will need some more impressive figures on his resume to keep both his place in the team and his captaincy.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have encountered each other in 34 matches. Out of these, KKR could only win 11 matches and got outplayed by MI in 23.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Mumbai is entering the summer season, which means Wankhede will greet both teams with humidity accompanied by breezes. The toss-winning captain would be inclined to bat second to stay clear of the dew’s impact, if any shows up. The venue has short boundaries, so a high-scoring game should definitely be on the cards.
Prediction:
MI have a strong record against KKR, but recently, the tide has turned. Now, both history and form favor KKR to perform better at Wankhede on Monday.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
