Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Indian Premier League 2020, Today Match Prediction 16 Oct 2020

mi vs kkr Match Prediction & Analysis

It is the 32nd game of the Indian Premier League 2020 and table toppers Mumbai Indians would be up against the Kolkata Knight Riders in this contest. Mumbai Indians won their last game against the Delhi Capitals which was their fourth consecutive win and this would make the side confident. Kolkata Knight Riders on the other hand come here after a massive loss against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and they will have to recover from this to put up a challenge in the upcoming contest. 

Mumbai Indians have dominated the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last five seasons. They have won the last nine out of the ten games the two sides have played and this will be a confidence booster for the side. Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting has struggled in the last few games and they will need to fix this issue going into this game. However, KKR has good hitters of the ball and if they gain their form it will turn into an interesting contest. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Mumbai Indians Preview

Rohit Sharma’s side is living up to its reputation as defending champions. They have now won four games in a row and sit at the top of the points table. They won a close game against the Delhi Capitals by 5-wickets wherein their key players performed well. The side enjoys an excellent record against the Kolkata Knight Riders and this will make the side confident going into this game. 

The side looks very strong at the top with openers Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock in good form and a good start from this pair would tilt the balance in the side’s favor. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav have also been exceptional this season. It is down the order that the trio of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya with their hitting abilities differentiate the two sides. 

The new ball pair of Trent Boult and James Pattinson has been leaking runs and this is one area that the side would look to improve in this game.  Jasprit Bumrah looks in good rhythm at the moment and the side would have huge expectations from him. In Rahul Chahar, Pollard and Krunal Pandya they have a well-balanced bowling attack for the middle overs and the skipper would be looking for economical spells from them in this game. 

Top Batsman – Rohit Sharma    
Top Bowler – Jasprit Bumrah
 

Mumbai Indians Predicted Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Mumbai Indians Actual Playing XI:

Nathan Coulter-Nile, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, SA Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders Preview

Dinesh Karthik’s side suffered a crashing defeat in the last game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore where they went down by 82 runs. Their batsmen haven’t been in the best of form in the last three games. Karthik would be aware of the strength that Mumbai Indians bring into this game and he will look for a strong comeback from his players. 

The side will require a good start at the top from Tom Banton and Shubman Gill. Gill has been the lone player at the top who has shown consistency so far. Nitish Rana and Eoin Morgan have good abilities with the bat and they will look to steer the innings in the middle order. Andre Russell’s lack of form is hurting the side this season. He along with Karthik and Rahul Tripathi will need to do the big hitting in the final overs. 

Pat Cummins has bowled well so far in the season but he will need good support with the new ball from Prasidh Krishna. Varun Chakravarthy and Kamlesh Nagarkoti have impressed in the last few games and the side would be expecting a similar show from them in this game. Russell will need to fit into the role of a fifth bowler well which has been a concern for the side in most games.  

Top Batsman – Shubman Gill     
Top Bowler – Pat Cummins 
 

Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted Playing XI:

Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Tom Banton, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Rahul Tripathi, Pat Cummins, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders Actual Playing XI:

Shubman Gill, Christopher Green, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana, Shivam Mavi, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, RA Tripathi

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The skies over Abu Dhabi would be clear on October 16 and the conditions would be great for batting as we have already seen in the tournament. Though the track has become little slower in the last few games it still remains a good one to bat on. A score of 180 runs on the board would make the side that bats first confident of a win. 

Venue Details

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi is a large venue that is known to have a batting-friendly wicket. The outfield is fast here and it allows batsmen to play their strokes freely. Fast bowlers don’t enjoy this surface as there isn’t much for them here. Spinners have taken advantage of the slowness of the surface as the odd ball stops and troubles the batsmen.

Toss: To Bat

Most teams are preferring to bat first in the recent games as the pitches have gone slower which is making chasing difficult at this venue. Dew factor isn’t playing a major role as we had seen earlier in the season. Hence, the side that wins the toss in this game is likely to opt for batting first in this game.