IPL 2024: KKR eye playoff ticket against eliminated MI
Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians in Match 60 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR, who own eight wins in 11 games, can officially secure a playoff berth with one more victory. Meanwhile, MI have been eliminated and have nothing but pride to play for. They have just four wins in 12 outings. Let's look at the match preview.
Pitch report, conditions, and streaming details
The iconic Eden Gardens will host the impending fixture on May 11. The venue has witnessed several high-scoring matches this season. The wickets here hence have enough juice for the batters, while humid conditions test the players. The match, starting at 7:30pm IST, can be watched live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on the JioCinema app for free.
Here's the head-to-head record
MI have dominated the scenes against KKR in the competition's history. Out of the 33 matches played between the two teams, MI have won a staggering 23 times. KKR have emerged victorious on 10 occasions. Shreyas Iyer's men beat MI by 24 runs last week. As per ESPNcricinfo, MI have seven wins and just three defeats versus KKR in Kolkata.
Can MI turn things around?
Though it has been a forgettable season for Hardik Pandya's men, they would want to finish on a high. Their destructive batting line-up has fared hot and cold. Jasprit Bumrah has been their lone warrior with the ball. Meanwhile, KKR have been powered by Sunil Narine's all-round brilliance. Several other players have also stood up as the two-time champions have won consistently.
Probable XIs of the two teams
MI probable XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah. Impact Player: Nuwan Thushara. KKR probable XI: Phil Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy. Impact Player: Anukul Roy.
Decoding the key stats
Narine has scored 461 runs this year (SR: 183.67). With the ball, the spinner has collected 14 wickets at an economy of 6.61. Meanwhile, Andre Russell has been striking at 186.79 this year. Bumrah owns 18 scalps this season. His economy rate is 6.21. Tilak Varma is MI's leading run-scorer this year with 384 runs at a strike rate of 147.13.
