IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for MI vs KKR match
Mumbai Indians (MI) lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 22nd game of IPL 2023 on Sunday (April 16) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The hosts registered their first win of the season against fellow strugglers Delhi Capitals. Captain Rohit Sharma finally came good, scoring a half-century for the first time since IPL 2021, also winning the POTM award for his efforts.
MI will want their captain to continue in the same vein. The form of Suryakumar Yadav and fitness of Jofra Archer are MI's biggest concerns, and they will hope to have some good news on that front.
Meanwhile, KKR struggled to contain an on-song SRH batting lineup at Eden Gardens, with most of their bowlers proving expensive. While they put up a decent batting effort, with captain Nitish Rana scoring 75 and Rinku Singh getting another half-century, they will want to be more clinical as a unit.
This is a huge rivalry, and both teams need this win desperately. On that note, let's look at three players to pick in the Dream11 team for the MI-KKR game.
#3 Riley Meredith (MI)
MI's Riley Meredith is likely to retain his place in the team, with Jofra Archer likely to miss this game as well. The Australian seamer had a decent outing against DC, picking up two wickets for 34 runs in 3.4 overs, with a good effort at the death.
A bowler who's capable of bowling at express pace with a good array of change-ups, Meredith is a wicket-taker and a partnership breaker. While Archer would've been a more ideal bowler to face KKR, given their weakness against short balls, Meredith would like to emulate Archer.
He's likely to bowl his full quota of four overs and should finish with at least two wickets.
#2 Venkatesh Iyer (KKR)
It's unsure if he plays in the starting XI, as he's mostly named on the bench whenever KKR chase and comes on as an impact sub.
Venkatesh Iyer being ignored by Dream11 managers, though, comes as a surprise. The left-hander batted brilliantly in KKR's clash against GT and could have a similarly successful game against a sub-par MI attack.
His height makes him a good player of the short ball, and he's also a decent player of spin. Batting at No.3, he will want to bat with more freedom and clarity and get another big score, taking KKR to a win on a ground where they haven't tasted much success.
#1 Lockie Ferguson (KKR)
KKR spent big bucks to sign Lockie Ferguson from GT ahead of the auction, but the NZ pacer hasn't fired this season. Ferguson has the reputation of being an erratic bowler, and while he has his off-days, he's a real wicket-taker.
In the IPL 2021 season for KKR, Ferguson picked up 13 wickets in eight games at a terrific economy rate of 7.46, and KKR will want him to return to that form. Against an in-form MI batting lineup, they will need their star pacer to step up and deliver the goods. His Dream11 ownership is understandably low, but he's a stellar differential pick for this game.