IPL 2018, MI vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) probable playing XI against Mumbai Indians (MI)
After romping to two consecutive wins against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Chennai Super Kings - both being rather comfortable chases - the Kolkata Knight Riders will be facing the team against whom they have the worst success rate in the IPL, the Mumbai Indians.
Having won 5 games out of the 9 played, KKR are in the running for a playoffs spot and are currently the third-placed side in the IPL points table. They would be looking to seal their berth into the business end of the tournament as soon as possible. On the other hand, Mumbai are already on the brink and need to win all their remaining games.
Without further ado, let us look at how the Knight Riders may line up to fend off the defending champions on their own turf:
Chris Lynn: The big-hitting Australian has not made an impact in the IPL as much as the KKR management would have wanted him to when they shelled out Rs 9.6 crore for him in the auctions. He still remains a lethal force with the willow.
While he did not have a huge score against CSK in KKR's last encounter, he did score a match-winning knock of 62* against RCB and the Knight Riders would be hoping to see more of the same from him on Sunday.
Sunil Narine: The Trinidadian is KKR's most valuable asset as he has contributed to the cause of the two-time IPL champions with both the bat and the ball. He has scalped 10 wickets from 9 games and is KKR's highest wicket-taker so far.
He has also scored close to 200 runs including a 19-ball 50 against RCB in Kolkata's season opener. Narine continues to be a mainstay in the squad.
Robin Uthappa: One of the most experienced veterans in the IPL, Uthappa has consistently gotten starts but failed to convert the same into big scores. Such is his plight that he has racked up 205 runs this year but has not managed to reach the 50-run mark even once.
He always looks in control while playing his shots but ends up making some mistake out of the blue to be dismissed. KKR would be hoping that this trend of his comes to a halt today.
Nitish Rana: The Delhi lad has emerged as a vital cog in KKR's middle order and will return to the squad after missing the game against Chennai with back spasms. Rana boasts of a decent average of 31.33 from the 8 games that he has played and has been tasked with building partnerships in the middle overs so that Kolkata can go all guns blazing at the death.
Shubman Gill: The U-19 World Cup starlet was promoted up the order against Chennai and the move worked wonders as Gill stroked his way to an effortless 57* off 36 balls. He was previously being utilised as a finisher and that ploy didn't yield enough dividends.
While Gill was promoted to No. 4 last time around, with Rana returning to the side, he might have to remain content coming in at No. 5.
Dinesh Karthik: The KKR skipper is also the franchise's highest run-getter this season. The Tamil Nadu lad has excelled in the role of a finisher this year which was highlighted by his quickfire 45* off 18 balls against CSK. While his captaincy might not be foolproof, Karthik has only improved his batting since his heroics in the Nidahas Trophy final nearly two months ago.
Andre Russell: Dre Russ as he is popularly known, the Jamaican is probably the most technically sound Windies' player in the IPL. That along with his brute hitting power makes him an absolute beast of a player on his day. While Russell has bowled over 140 kph on several occasions, he has been rather underutilised with the ball this year which might be due to fitness reasons.
Shivam Mavi: Another big name from the U-19 World Cup, Mavi is slowly starting to find his rhythm with the ball. Despite his tender age, he is clocking speeds of 140 kph and above on a regular basis and KKR would be looking to utilize the same.
While he has barely contributed with the bat, Mavi is still an all-rounder on paper and may come in handy lower down the order if needed.
Tom Curran: Curran should come in place of the underwhelming Mitchell Johnson who was taken to the cleaners in the previous game.
While Curran himself does not boast of excellent bowling figures so far, Johnson was a part of Mumbai's squad and today's hosts would be well aware of how to nullify his potential. Curran, despite being a bowler of the similar mould, brings a sense of unpredictability to the table.
Piyush Chawla: The leggie from Uttar Pradesh has featured in all the games for KKR so far this season and has scalped 8 wickets in the process. Chawla has castled many batsmen with his deceptive googly and will be looking to continue doing the same against Mumbai.
Kuldeep Yadav: Belonging to the intermittent breed of chinaman bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav has also picked up 8 wickets in this year's IPL. He likes to toss up the ball and deceive batsmen with the flight on the delivery, although he does risk getting hammered for boundaries in the process.
Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!