IPL 2021: Predicted starting lineups for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians (MI) will be aiming to win their first points of the season when they take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai. The defending champions will hope that fatigue plays a big role in the contest since Kolkata will get a one-day gap after their game against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday. However, unlike Mumbai, Kolkata won their opening game of the campaign. The two sides played out their first matches at the same stadium and Mumbai will be wary of the runs Kolkata so effortlessly scored against Hyderabad, whereas they struggled to get to a par score against Bangalore. In spite of that, MI have been KKR’s bogey team since the tournament’s inauguration in 2008. Of the 27 matches they have played, MI have won a whopping 21, and Kolkata have come out on top on just six occasions.

The game promises to be a thrilling encounter on paper with both sides hungry for a win. KKR will be looking to keep their positive start to the campaign going while MI will look to kickstart theirs.

Here are the predicted starting lineups for both:

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

Shubman Gill: He only managed to score 15 runs off 13 deliveries against SRH, but Gill will undoubtedly start the game. His recent performances for the national team suggest that the previous game was a blip, and the opener will be eager to get amongst the runs as soon as possible.

Nitish Rana: After an innings like the one he played against the SunRisers, it is impossible to drop Rana from the side. He will be looking to extend his good run of form and pick up where he left off against the Mumbai Indians.

Rahul Tripathi: Tripathi might have been overshadowed by Rana’s knock, but his valuable 53 off 29 deliveries went a long way to allow Rana to play freely and achieve the mammoth total that KKR did. He will also be looking to put in an impressive performance against the champions.

Eoin Morgan (Captain): Well you cannot really drop a team’s skipper after just one bad performance. Morgan is still a World Cup-winning captain and his on-field decisions against Hyderabad stood testament to how good a leader he is.

Shakib Al Hasan: A good all-rounder is always an asset to any team, and when they are as good as Shakib, you just have to pick them. He might not have shone with the bat but the Bangladeshi cricketer took the crucial wicket of the dangerous Wriddhiman Saha to derail the SRH innings right at the start.

Dinesh Karthik (WK): Karthik’s superb cameo of 22 runs off 9 deliveries proved to be vital for the Knight Riders as they beat SRH by just over 10 runs. He is a seasoned veteran, reliable behind the stumps, and a powerful striker of the ball. 

Andre Russell: Like Shakib, Russell is also a man of many talents. He might not have been his usual destructive self with the bat in the last game but he proved himself valuable with the ball. He bowled three overs, including the final one in the SRH innings, and took the important wicket of Vijay Shankar. 

Pat Cummins: The Australian pacer took the all-important wicket of Jonny Bairstow who seemed like he could single-handedly take the game away from the Purple and Gold. Cummins’s pace and accuracy are rivalled by very few and his international experience also gives him an edge.

Harbhajan Singh: The veteran off-spinner might have bowled only one over in the game, but having someone with his experience on the pitch to guide the younger players is always an asset. Harbhajan did a decent job in the fielding department as well.

Varun Chakravarthy: The leg-spinner went for runs in his four overs but captain Eoin Morgan might be inclined towards giving him another chance over Kuldeep Yadav. Chakravarthy will, of course, be looking to make the most of it and solidify his place in the starting lineup.

Prasidh Krishna: Krishna took two extremely crucial wickets that ultimately helped KKR win the contest against SRH. He dismissed the dangerous David Warner and Mohammed Nabi. The pacer will look to add to his tally when he faces the Mumbai Indians.

MUMBAI INDIANS

Rohit Sharma (Captain): Despite his poor start to the campaign, one can never quite write off the hitman. Rohit will be itching to getting his batting back on track and if he gets going, there is no stopping him.

Chris Lynn: The batsman excruciatingly missed out on what would have been an impressive half-century against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) but showcased an impressive batting display nonetheless. He scored 49 runs off 35 deliveries and would be hoping to repeat the performance against his former side.

Suryakumar Yadav: Another former KKR player, Yadav displayed his signature unorthodox yet explosive batting against Bangalore when he scored 31 off 23 balls. He is an asset to Mumbai and can wreak havoc if in form. 

Ishan Kishan (WK): Kishan played a brilliant, albeit in vain, cameo of 28 off 19 deliveries against RCB. He would be looking to improve his run tally against KKR. He is also excellent behind the stumps. 

Hardik Pandya: The power hitter would be hungry for runs after a disappointing opening game and be eager to play one of his signature explosive knocks. He is also an exceptional fielder and a decent bowler, qualities that will come in handy to Rohit Sharma.

Krunal Pandya: Despite not being among the runs, Krunal Pandya was impressive with the ball. He picked up one wicket and gave away only 25 runs in his allotted four overs.

Kieron Pollard: The West Indian all-rounder will look to get back to his explosive best against KKR after a dismal showing in the season opener. A contest between him and fellow countryman Andre Russell might prove to be an interesting battle.

Marco Jansen: Jansen took two wickets, including the dangerous Glenn Maxwell, and gave away only 28 runs in the match against RCB. He will, once again, have to be at the top of his game against KKR’s dynamic batting lineup.

Trent Boult: The Kiwi fast bowler will also need to be at the top of his game if Mumbai are to restrict KKR to a small total. Boult had one wicket to his name in the game against RCB.

Jasprit Bumrah: It is very rare that Jasprit Bumrah has an off day, even if he is on the losing side. Bumrah took two crucial wickets, including the one of Virat Kohli, for only 26 runs. He will undoubtedly be a problem for the KKR batsmen.

Piyush Chawla: After an unimpressive showing by Rahul Chahar in the opener. Captain Rohit Sharma might be inclined to give experience a chance. Chawla knows the Chennai pitch inside out having played for CSK and the veteran might have more than a few tricks up his sleeve.