Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 22 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 16. This will be the first match of the double-header. After beginning IPL 2023 with two losses, Mumbai Indians registered their first win by defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Following the Rinku Singh miracle, KKR went down to SRH by 23 runs in their previous game as Harry Brook produced a brilliant knock. Here are five player battles to watch out for in MI vs KKR knock.
1. Rohit Sharma vs Umesh Yadav
MI skipper Rohit Sharma roared back to form with 65 off 45 balls in the team’s win over Delhi Capitals. The Mumbai captain showed some promise in the previous match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before being cleaned up. However, he will be a lot more confident heading into Sunday’s clash against KKR after a match-winning knock.
KKR pacer Umesh Yadav has not had much to do in IPL 2023 so far, as spinners from the team have dominated the bowling attack. Having said that, Umesh has a key role at the start of the innings, providing the early breakthrough. This is something he has failed to do. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he went for 42 in three overs without claiming a wicket. Umesh will be keen to deliver against Hitman.
2. Jason Roy vs Jason Behrendorff
There is a good chance that KKR might bring in England’s explosive opener Jason Roy instead of Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top of the order. Gurbaz has failed to deliver consistently. Roy has rediscovered his magic wand after having lost it briefly. He will want to dominate, given a chance.
MI left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff was excellent for his team with the ball in the game against DC. He claimed 3/23 to derail the opposition’s batting. A confident Behrendorff would be keen to carry on his good run. He will face a challenge in the form of Roy. Can he overcome the dynamic English cricketer?
3. Suryakumar Yadav vs Varun Chakaravarthy
Mumbai Indians batting star Suryakumar Yadav might be struggling miserably, but one can’t see the franchise dropping him. Everyone, including the opposition, knows that it’s only a matter of time before SKY finds his bearings again. Suryakumar will be hungry to make up for some poor scores if he gets his eye in.
Batting in the middle overs, it won’t be easy for SKY. He will have to contend with the skill of leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. The KKR bowler has been in impressive form for his franchise. He did go for a few against SRH, but that was a one-off. He will be a good match against Suryakumar.
4. Rinku Singh vs Riley Meredith
What does one say about Rinku Singh? He has been absolutely sensational in the last few games. He warmed up with 46, playing the support role to Shardul Thakur in the match against RCB. Rinku then played that iconic knock against Gujarat Titans. In the last match against SRH, he scored an unbeaten 58. Can he carry on his great run?
Rinku will be up against Riley Meredith at the death. The Aussie fast bowler produced pace and bounce and was impressed against DC with figures of 2/24. He will have his task cut out against Rinku but will be keen to stand up to the challenge.
5. Tim David vs Lockie Ferguson
MI batter Tim David can come in as the Impact Player and throw his bat around. He has played a couple of fine cameos lower down the order and played his role in the win over Delhi. There is only one way David bats, and Mumbai can best utilize him in that manner.
Lockie Ferguson has had a horror run for KKR so far. He registered figures of 0/40 against Gujarat Titans and followed it up with 0/37 in two overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad as Brook went berserk. David will look to take him on. Will Lockie have a response?