Picking a combined MI-KKR playing XI for IPL 2024 ft. Tilak Varma, Varun Chakravarthy
Mumbai Indians (MI) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match number 51 of IPL 2024 at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Friday, May 3. MI are down at ninth position in the points table, with only three wins from 10 games, while KKR are second, with 12 points from nine matches.
Five-time champions Mumbai have had a disastrous IPL 2024 campaign, losing to Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in their last three games. Batting first against LSG, MI came up with a poor batting effort and were held to 144-7. Lucknow went past the total in 19.2 overs.
Kolkata, meanwhile, came up with a clinical effort to hammer Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in their last match at the Eden Gardens. Bowling first, KKR restricted DC to 153-9 before chasing down the target in 16.3 overs.
In the head-to-head numbers, Mumbai have a dominant 23-9 record over Kolkata. As the teams prepare for the battle at the Wankhede, we pick a combined MI vs KKR playing XI for IPL 2024:
Openers: Phil Salt (wk), Sunil Narine
With both Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan struggling, the KKR duo of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine would open the batting in the combined XI.
Salt has been brilliant, smashing 392 runs at an average of 49 and a strike rate of 180.65. He has three half-centuries in his last five innings. In KKR's seven-wicket win over Delhi, he top-scored with 68 off 33.
Narine has also been excellent. In nine matches, he has hammered 372 runs at an average of 41.33 and a strike rate of 182.35. He slammed a hundred against Rajasthan and 71 against Punjab. Narine has made a big impact with the ball as well, claiming 11 wickets at an impressive average of 22.45.
Middle order & All-rounders: Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya, Tim David, Andre Russell
Tilak Varma has been among the few bright spots for Mumbai Indians in an otherwise disastrous IPL 2024 campaign.
In 10 innings, he has notched up 343 runs at an average of 42.88 and a strike rate of 153.81. The left-hander struck consecutive half-centuries against Rajasthan and Delhi before being dismissed cheaply against Lucknow.
Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer would be the captain in the combined XI. The right-handed batter hasn't been needed to do much, as Salt and Narine have been exceptional at the top. In his last three visits to the crease, Shreyas has registered scores of 50, 28 and 33*.
Like last season, young Mumbai Indians batter Nehal Wadhera has grabbed the few opportunities that have come his way. The left-handed batter contributed 49 off 24 against Rajasthan Royals and a defiant 46 against Lucknow Super Giants.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya has been under the scanner owing to the team's poor performance, but he has done a decent job in the last couple of games. He contributed a swift 46 off 25 against Delhi Capitals and claimed 2-26, albeit in a losing cause against Lucknow, getting the wickets of KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda.
Tim David and Andre Russell would be the finishers in the combined MI vs KKR playing XI. David has played some nice cameos for Mumbai at the death. In the last two matches, he contributed 37 off 17 and 35* off 18.
Russell yet again has been a key figure in Kolkata's setup. He has chipped in with crucial runs and wickets. The all-rounder did not have much to do against DC but will hope for an opportunity to shine against Mumbai.
Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
KKR's Vaibhav Arora and MI's Jasprit Bumrah would be the lead pacers in the combined XI, while leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy would be the main slow bowler.
Arora has been among the wickets in all five matches he has played. He has claimed nine scalps, including a three-fer against Delhi in Visakhapatnam and two wickets against the same opposition in the home clash.
Bumrah is second in the list of wicket-takers in IPL 2024. In 10 matches, he has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 18.29. However, he has only scalped one wicket in his last three matches and will be keen to put up a better show.
KKR spinner Chakravarthy was the Player of the Match for his excellent figures of 3-16 in the win over Delhi Capitals in the previous match. He got the big wickets of Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs to put DC on the back foot in the clash.