File photo of Quinton de Kock.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will be aiming to return to winning ways with skipper Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya expected to be back among their ranks in match 34 of IPL 2021 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. The job will be easier said than done given how Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed third-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday at the same ground.
Mumbai Indians (MI) Predicted 11
Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Adam Milne, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted 11
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Ferguson and Varun Chakravarthy
Given the quality and form of DC players, it was hard to ignore many of their players and feature in numbers in indiatvnews.com's fantasy XI.
Wicket-keeper (Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock)
Both MI stars Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan misfired in the 20-run loss to Chennai Super Kings but it seems nothing more than an anomaly given the bulk of scoring they did recently. De Kock's 172 runs in last eight IPL may say otherwise but it's also a fact that the Protea has scored four half-centuries since August including two in The Hundreds. Kishan, as well, is brimming with confidence after scoring a half century during the Sri Lanka tour and will be aiming to prove his mettle ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.
Batsman (Rohit Sharma (v/c), Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill)
MI's skipper Rohit Sharma is all set to be back and will be aiming to be back in the reckoning for the Orange Cap after scoring 250 runs in first seven games. Suryakumar Yadav too will be aiming to get back in form after scoring just three runs in the last game and 176 runs in 8 games overall. KKR opener Shubman Gill will be aiming to consolidate on the batting performance he showed against RCB in the last match, missing his half century by just two runs in the chase.
All-rounder (Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer)
KKR's burly all-rounder Andre Russell delivered the good with the ball in the last match while retaining a solid bowling figure of 3/9 but is yet to fire from the bat but his recent form at recently-concluded Caribbean Premier League suggests fireworks await. His teammate Venkatesh Iyer too showcased his potential with the bat as he scored an unbeaten 41 and will be cheap fantasy option. However, it is unlikely the MP bowler will be handed the ball by captain Eoin Morgan.
Bowler (Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy (c), Lockie Ferguson)
This match is certainly going to be a battle among the quality bowlers of both sides. KKR were expected to be weakened with Pat Cummins pulling out but Lockie Ferguson, retaining a bowling figure of 2/24, suggested the Aussie won't be missed. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, architect of RCB collapse, will be the dangerman for MI and will be hard to tame despite the quality in abundance for MI. Their strike bowlers Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah will continue to enjoy the help they got in the last match against CSK and will be tricky for KKR top-order to handle.
Fantasy XI Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma (VC), Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy (C), and Lockie Ferguson.
PITCH REPORT
The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium has something in offering for both batsmen and bowlers. Batsmen have to extra cautious in the powerplay with pacers looking to exploit the early swing. The previous match suggested that dew might not come into play at all and batsmen will have to spend some time in the middle before opening up their arms.
WEATHER UPDATES
Abu Dhabi weather conditions are expected to be hot and humid on the day with no possibility of rain. The average temperature will hover around 36-degree Celsius.
LIVE STREAMING
You can see the IPL 2021 MI vs KKR Live Streaming Online on Hotstar and JIOTV, and TV Telecast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, and Star Sports HD channels.
