KKR's Sunil Narine Set for Key Clash Against MI's Rohit Sharma
Playoff Aspirations and Team Spirit
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are gearing up for a crucial match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at Eden Gardens, where spin maestro Sunil Narine could play a pivotal role against MI opener Rohit Sharma. With only two matches remaining, KKR has the potential to accumulate a maximum of 15 points, which might secure them a playoff berth if teams like Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) falter in their upcoming games.
On the other hand, MI, currently sitting ninth in the standings with just four victories out of 12 matches, will be aiming to restore their pride and thwart KKR's playoff ambitions.
Highlight Matchup: Narine vs Rohit
Sunil Narine has a remarkable record against Rohit Sharma, having dismissed him eight times in 22 encounters, boasting an average of 18.12 and a strike rate slightly above 105. Narine has not only frequently taken Rohit's wicket but has also restricted his scoring opportunities. In 137 balls faced against Narine, Rohit has managed only 16 boundaries and two sixes, according to statistics from ESPNCricinfo.
Current Season Performance
In this season, Rohit Sharma has amassed 268 runs across seven innings, averaging 44.66 with an impressive strike rate exceeding 164, including two half-centuries and a top score of 84. Conversely, Narine stands as KKR's second-leading wicket-taker, claiming 13 wickets in 11 matches with an average of 22.15 and an economy rate of 6.69, achieving best bowling figures of 2/26.
Team Lineups
Mumbai Indians Squad:
- Rohit Sharma
- Ryan Rickelton (w)
- Naman Dhir
- Tilak Varma
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Will Jacks
- Corbin Bosch
- Deepak Chahar
- Shardul Thakur
- Jasprit Bumrah (c)
- Raghu Sharma
- Trent Boult
- Mayank Rawat
- Robin Minz
- Krish Bhagat
- Suryakumar Yadav
- AM Ghazanfar
- Hardik Pandya
- Keshav Maharaj
- Ashwani Kumar
- Mayank Markande
- Danish Malewar
- Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad:
- Ajinkya Rahane (c)
- Finn Allen
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (w)
- Cameron Green
- Manish Pandey
- Sunil Narine
- Anukul Roy
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Saurabh Dubey
- Kartik Tyagi
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Vaibhav Arora
- Ramandeep Singh
- Tejasvi Dahiya
- Rovman Powell
- Navdeep Saini
- Tim Seifert
- Umran Malik
- Rahul Tripathi
- Sarthak Ranjan
- Prashant Solanki
- Daksh Kamra
- Blessing Muzarabani