IPL 2017 Playoffs, MI vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders
Top of the points table, and featuring a settled line-up, the Mumbai Indians inexplicably imploded against a spirited Rising Pune Supergiant in the first qualifier. Friday gives them another chance at redemption, this time against the Kolkata Knight Riders, epitomising team strength and riding on the astute captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.
The KKR side managed to get past the rain, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the confusing Duckworth-Lewis calculations to fight another day. Mumbai are expected to come back stronger, backed by their 15-5 win-loss ratio against the Knight Riders in all games.
Two of only three sides to win the title twice, MI and KKR will have to raise their game to the next level, giving fans a cracker of a contest to look forward to. For Mumbai, Rohit Sharma will finally have to step up and be counted, for his numbers ever since returning from injury haven’t been promising.
The rest of the team looks settled, with Ambati Rayudu edging Nitish Rana out on account of experience.
Also read: IPL 2017 Qualifier 2, KKR vs MI: 5 reasons why Kolkata Knight Riders can beat Mumbai Indians
For the KKR side, their biggest strength has been Gambhir, the man who has led the side from the front with an aggressive, unyielding persona. With the bat, he has delivered the goods, rubbing off the calmness on the others whenever he is on the field.
Players like Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Nathan Coulter-Nile have thrived under him, and his pep-talks before the game will motivate them further. The absence of Manish Pandey could be one of the biggest concerns for KKR at the moment, as will be the lack of rest between the Hyderabad and Mumbai. The right-hander was replaced by Ishank Jaggi in the playing XI in the last game, and is expected to retain his place in the side.
Apart from Rohit, the onus will be on the Mumbai veterans: the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard and Rayudu will have to lift their game a notch and get all their playoff experience together to edge past Kolkata’s charge.
Date: 19-05-2017
Time: 2000 (IST)
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Prediction scenarios
| KKR | MI | |||
| Probability of win vs MI (Based on overall IPL history) | 47% | Probability of win vs MI (Based on overall IPL history) | 53% | |
| KKR - BATTING FIRST | MI - BATTING FIRST | |||
| Win % batting first | 40% | Win % batting first | 60% | |
| Win % batting first scoring more than 150 | 25% | Win % batting first scoring more than 170 | 67% | |
| Avg. Team total batting first | 165 | Avg. Team total batting first | 170 | |
| 1st innings | Manish Pandey: R - 203, SR - 134.43, 50s - 1; Robin Uthappa: R-155, SR-156.56, 50s-2 | 1st innings | Kieron Pollard: R-134, SR-132.67, 50s-1 | |
| KKR - BATTING SECOND | MI - BATTING SECOND | |||
| Win % batting second | 70% | Win % batting second | 70% | |
| Win % chasing more than 170 | 60% | Win % chasing more than 170 | 75% | |
| Team total batting second | 187 | Team total batting second | 177 | |
| Gautam Gambhir: R-381, SR-132.75, 50s-4 | Parthiv Patel: R-302, SR-141.12, 50s-2 | |||
| KKR - BOWLING FIRST | MI - BOWLING FIRST | |||
| Win % bowling first | 70% | Win % bowling first | 70% | |
| Win % when restricting opposition to 160 or less | 100% | Win % when restricting opposition to less than 160 | 100% | |
| 174 | 172 | |||
| Umesh Yadav: W-13, RPO-8.97 | Mitchell McClenaghan: W-13, RPO-10.07 | |||
| KKR - BOWLING SECOND | MI - BOWLING SECOND | |||
| Win % fielding second | 40% | Win % fielding second | 60% | |
| Win % when restricting opposition to less than 160 | 67% | Win % when restricting opposition to less than 150 | 67% | |
| Opposition Avg. Score batting second | 167 | Opposition Avg. Score batting second | 149 | |
| Chris Woakes: W-10, RPO-7.93 | Mitchell McClenaghan: W-6, RPO-7.42 | |||