IPL 2021: Match 34 MI vs KKR Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

The IPL head-to-head between these teams read 22-6 in favour of Mumbai Indians.

Published - 22 Sept 2021, 21:14 IST | Updated - 22 Sept 2021, 21:14 IST

4 Min Read

Welcome to the Indian Premier League’s most one-sided rivalry. Two teams with a gulf between them so wide that you might as well not term it a rivalry at all. No matter what Kolkata Knight Riders do, what happens to them when against Mumbai Indians is just as mysterious as what’s inside a black hole.

The IPL head-to-head between these teams read a ridiculous 22-6 in favour of Mumbai Indians, who would look to get back to winning ways against their bunny, not least because KKR’s recent record versus them is even poorer than the overall: they have lost 12 out of last 13 meetings against MI, with the only win dating back to 2019 season.

Renowned slow-starters, Mumbai Indians, have ensured to extend that reputation to slow-restarters, as they lost to Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs in the season-resuming encounter on September 19. In stark contrast, KKR made a stellar resumption, wrapping up Royal Challengers Bangalore for a paltry 92 before chasing the target with 9 wickets and 10 overs to spare to record a net run rate-boosting victory.

The loss against CSK for the Indians would be concerning given the current stage of the tournament, but in their defence, they had neither Rohit Sharma nor Hardik Pandya available, both of whose availability on Thursday remains under question. Mumbai are now in the hunt for their fifth win, having four wins as many losses from eight games.

KKR, on the other hand, have left themselves with little margin for error, sitting sixth in the tally with only three wins in eight games. A victory against Mumbai, however, would see them jump to the fourth spot on account of their superior net run rate.

In their most recent clash against MI, KKR inexplicably choked from a winning situation. That’s the best way to describe a loss when a team needing 31 from 30 balls with more than half their wickets in hand – including the likes of Morgan, Shakib, Karthik and Russell – fall 10 runs short in the simple pursuit of 153. As much as the numbers inspire little confidence, Eoin Morgan’s men come against their bogey team at a venue where they won five of their seven clashes in 2020 IPL.

Pitch and conditions

KKR made the life of RCB batters miserable in the only encounter in Abu Dhabi so far, with Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell claiming six wickets amongst them for 22 runs in their eight overs combined. Speaking post-match, RCB skipper Virat Kohli expressed his surprise over “that much dew” kicking in that early. On that evidence, chasing would be the preferred choice. A tough, hot evening awaits the two sides with some assistance for all varieties of bowlers.

Playing combination for MI vs KKR

Mumbai Indians

Trent Boult on match eve revealed both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are recovering “very well” but he was unsure about their participation against KKR. If fit, Rohit would walk in straight at the expense of Anmolpreet Sharma, while Saurabh Tiwary will pave way for Hardik Pandya. A few left-handers in the KRR side might prompt MI to fit in Jayant Yadav, although on recent form, Rahul Chahar seems a sure inclusion.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c)/Anmolpreet Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya/Saurabh Tiwary, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Kolkata Knight Riders

After an underwhelming first leg, Shubman Gill showed glimpses of aggression in his 34-ball 48 against RCB, while debutant Venkatesh Iyer sizzled himself, scoring an unbeaten 41 off 27 to guide his team to a comprehensive win. They are unlikely to change.

Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy