Squads –
KKR –
Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, , Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh
MI –
Rohit Sharma(c), Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Mohsin Khan, Saurabh Tiwary, Trent Boult, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neeshan, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar
Team News –
KKR –
– Kolkata Knight Riders started their IPL 2021 Champaign with a brilliant win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 10 runs.
– Team’s likely foreign players will be Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins and Lochie Ferguson/Shakib Al Hasan.
– Shubham Gill and Nitish Rana will open the Innings. Both are youngster and will be important for team’s success this year especially Gill after his heroics in Australia.
– Young Tripathi will bat at 1 down. He is a aggressive player and was brilliant last game where he scored 59 runs.
– Captain Morgan will bat at 2 down followed by Dinesh Karthik. Morgan needs no introduction and will be a game changer in this KKR lineup. DK looked good in the practice game , also scored 22 off just 9 deliveries in the last game. DK will keep the Wickets.
– Andre Russell will bat next and will play the role he loves to. Russell will also bowl. He bowled in death last game.
– Varun Chakravarthy, Harbhajan Singh and Shakib Al Hasan will lead the spin section.
– Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna and Andre Russell will lead the pace attack.
MI –
– Mumbai Indians the 5 time champions lost the 1st game of IPL asa always against RCB. Team collapsed at the later half in their innings but are the strongest team in the IPL by far means.
– Quinton de Kock has finished his quarantine and is available for selection. According to Zaheer Khan de Kock will play.
– Rohit Sharma and Chris Lynn/Quinton de Kock are likely to open the game. Rohit is going through a golden patch of form. Lynn can get a extended run due to his good show of 49 in the season opener.
– Surya Kumar Yadav will bat at 1 down. Surya has been excellent form last 2-3 years scoring consistently 400+ in every season. He was out to Jamieson for 31 in last game.
– Ishan Kishan will bat at 2 down. Ishan was team highest scorer last season and also got a chance in the national team where he scored a 50 on debut. He looked good for his 28 last game.
– Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya followed by Big Kieron Pollard will be the Allrounders for MI.
– Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya will lead the spin attack. Team can go with an extra spinner looking the Chepauk Wicket.
– Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya and Marco Jenson will lead the pace bowling. Pollard will assist them.
Probable XI –
KKR –
Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (C), Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Shakib-Al-Hasan/Lochie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Harbhajan Singh
MI –
Rohit Sharma, Chris Lynn/Quinton de Kock, Surya Kumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jenson, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar
Pitch Report –
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
The MA Chidambaram stadium has always been a spin friendly Wickets but in the 2 games played here it doesn’t seems like spinners are getting any help.
Overall H2H – 27
KKR Won – 06
MI Won – 21
Average Score : 160
Team Blueprint –
WK –
QdK( Open + wk, LHB, can play this game, Poor average scoring just 27 runs in 3 games at the venue)
Ishan Kishan ( 2 down + wk, LHB, 56(32b) against Eng last series, highest scorer for MI with 516 runs last season, 28 last game, Must have)
Dinesh Karthik( Middle order, RHB + wk, 93 in practice game, 22(9b) against SRH last game, poor Average of 22 against MI )
BAT –
Eoin Morgan( 2/3 down, 418 runs last season for KKR, SR of 138 last season, Must have)
Rohit Sharma ( Open, RHB, no intro needed, 939 runs in 27 games at a excellent Average of 48 against KKR , Must have)
Surya Kumar Yadav ( 1 down, RHB, Red hot form, 480 runs in IPL2020 at a SR of 140, 224 runs in 6 games against KKR, Must have)
Chris Lynn ( Open, RHB, didn’t played a game last season, 458 runs this BBL at a SR of 145+, was brilliant with 49 runs in 1st game)
Shubham Gill( Open, Highest scorer of team last season with 440 runs, Sr was slightly on the lower side with 117, 120 runs in 5 games against MI, out on 15 last game)
Nitish Rana( Open, LHB, had a decent last season with 352 runs at a SR of 138, 80 runs last game, Must have)
Rahul Tripathi( 1 down, RHB, very attacking, 232 runs in 11 innings last season, brilliant 53(29b) last game)
ALL –
Andre Russell( Middle order, RHB + medium fast, can bowl in death, overall Batting SR of 182 in IPL including 129 6s, can be promoted any day, Must have)
Shakib Al Hasan(Slow left arm + LHB, middle order, very experienced, 5083 Runs + 361 Wickets in T20 cricket, was out from Cricket for almost 2 years )
Kieran Pollard ( Middle order, RHB + part time medium pace, 10000+ t20 runs, SR of 190 last season , can’t miss him)
Hardik Pandya ( Middle order, RHB + Medium pacer, SR of 159 with 1362 runs for MI in last 5 years, didn’t bowled last game, Must have)
Sunil Narine( Off spin, mystery bowler, can also open but is unlikely, had a poor season last year with just 5 Wickets, didn’t played last game)
Ben Cutting( Lower middle order, RHB + Medium pacer, 2368 runs + 128 t20 Wickets, Batting SR of 149 , Must try if gets a game )
Jimmy Neesham( Right Arm medium + LHB, very attacking hitter, 2001 runs + 132 Wickets in t20s, 45(33b) + 2w, 26(22b) in last T20 series, just 19 runs in 3 IPL games last year for KXIP)
Krunal Pandya ( Slow left arm + LHB, 58* against Eng in 1st ODI recently, 6 Wickets + 109 runs against KKR, 1w in the powerplay last game)
BOWL –
Pat Cummins(Right Arm Fast, can also bat, world class bowler, will also bowl in death, just 12 Wickets in 14 games last season, 1w last game)
J Bumrah( Right Arm fast, 92 IPL games picking 109 Wickets, 27 Wickets at a SR of 13 last IPL, 3 Wickets last game, can’t miss him, best death bowler around)
Trent Boult ( Left arm fast, known for his deadly swing early on the innings, 3rd highest wicket taker last season with 25 Wickets, 7 Wickets in 4 games against KKR, Must have)
Lochie Ferguson( Right Arm Fast, hit the deck bowler, can easily bowl upto 150ks, 6 Wickets in just 4 games last season, 63 t20 Wickets for him, can play this game)
Prasidh Krishna( Right Arm Fast, can bowl upto 145ks, was brilliant taking 6 Wickets in 3 games in ODI series, 2 Wickets last game, Must have)
Varun Chakravarthy( Off spin, mystery bowler, had a brilliant last season with 17 Wickets at an eco of 6.85, wicketless last game)
Rahul Chahar( Leggie, brilliant last 2 seasons for MI with 15+ Wickets, 1w last game)
Nathan Coulter Nile ( Right Arm medium fast, can bowl upto 140ks, quite experienced with 156 t20 Wickets, 11 Wickets in 6 BBL2020 games, very good option to have)
Adam Milne ( Right Arm fast, experienced, bowls an average pace of 145, 124 t20 Wickets, poor BBL recently with just 4 Wickets in 12 games )
Piyush Chawla ( Leggie, 3rd highest wicket taker in IPL history with 156 scalps, poor season with CSK last year, can get a game on this Chennai wicket )
M Jansen( Left arm medium fast + good Striker of ball, excellent debut picking 2 Wickets for just 28 last game, Must and a good option at 8cr )
Harbhajan Singh( Off spin, very experienced, 232 t20 Wickets, 150 IPL Wickets on his name, bowled just 1 over last game)
Shivam Mavi( Right Arm fast medium, had excellent last season with 9 Wickets in 8 games, very good at 8cr, didn’t played last game)
C/VC –
KKR –
Nitish Rana
Eoin Morgan
Shubham Gill
Andre Russell
MI –
Rohit Sharma
Surya Kumar Yadav
Hardik Pandya
Jasprit Bumrah