KKR And MI Match Would Be Played At Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi:
It’s Game 5 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2020 as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kicks off their season with Mumbai Indians (MI) at Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Although KKR will be eager to make a winning start to the season, MI will be out to prove the case.
The Rohit Sharma-led unit lost the season opener against Chennai Super Kings, following Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis’ solid bat success. However, if MI manages to return to winning ways against KKR, it will be their first victory at this venue.
Battle Of Sixes:
Andre Russell vs. Kieron Pollard. Eoin Morgan vs. Hardik Pandya. Add Dinesh Karthik, Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Sunil Narine to this mix. It’s fair to assume that we might be in for a six-party. The bowlers on both sides are going to have their job cut out. Which team do you think would hit a limit of sixes in this game?
Although MI lost their first game of the tournament, it may only be a blip. The consistency of the players that four-time champions have is enviable. KKR, on the other hand, bolstered their team, getting in the likes of Morgan, Tom Banton, Pat Cummins. There’s ample quality that both sides have to deliver, and here are our top picks in the list of players to look out for.
Key Players:
Andre Russell:
It has the highest IPL strike rate (186.41) for a batsman and most often clears the barrier. He was KKR ‘s leading run-getter in IPL 2019 and hammered as many as 52 sixes in 14 matches and he’ll be willing to get an extra. KKR is going to be chuffed if he gets into the groove from the first game of 2020.
Quinton de Kock:
Though he couldn’t score a fifty in MI’s opening game, Quinton de Kock’s Breezy 33 was an indication that the wizard-batsman who opened the batting was in a good nick. The left-hander doesn’t shy away from playing his shots, and as MI wins, Kock’s strong presence at the top is vital.
Shubman Gill:
Not that he can’t go tall, but Shubman Gill, who’s a delight to watch the bat in his hand, has a beating approach that’s high in style and elegance. The youngster is likely to open the batting for KKR, and if he does, he will lay a strong base for the big hitters who will be part of KKR’s batting unit.
Pat Cummins:
Speed, talent, precision, adaptability and experience – Pat Cummins, one of the finest pacemakers in the world, is expected to spearhead KKR’s bowling unit this season. Although the tracks in the UAE may not offer the pace that the tracks in Australia may offer, in the past, Cummins has always shown willingness to find ways to scalp wickets. If it burns, KKR becomes an even more risky proposition for the opposition.
Kieron Pollard:
The great-hitting West Indian has hardly ever disrupted the gap to the boundary ropes. Though he scored for 18 in the first game against CSK, Pollard will be out to score another point in the MI colours as the team tries to seal their first victory of the IPL 2020.
Wild Card:
Kamlesh Nagarkoti:
Although injuries meant that Kamlesh Nagarkoti hardly played cricket after being taken to the KKR team in the year that he, along with his KKR teammate Gill and Shivam Mavi, led India to win the ICC Under 19 World Cup in 2018. But this time around, he’s fit and he’s raring to go. Is the right-arm pacer going to put on a sparkling show?
Statistics:
- KKR at this venue: Played 3, Won 1, Lost 2.
- MI at this venue: Played 2, Lost 2.
Approaching Milestones:
1.If he plays, this will be Kieron Pollard’s 150th IPL game.
2. Rohit Sharma needs 90 runs to complete 5000 IPL runs.
3.Quinton de Kock and Andre Russell need 11 and 100 runs respectively to complete 1500 IPL runs.
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