Narine-Rohit match up in focus as MI look to spoil KKR's playoff chances
Kolkata, May 20
Kolkata Knight Riders spin legend Sunil Narine could form a sensational match-up with Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma as the three-time champions continue their hunt for the fourth playoff spot against the five-time champions at Eden Gardens.
KKR, left with two matches, can still reach a maximum of 15 points, which could be enough to seal them a playoff spot if Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) slip in the rest of their matches. But MI, placed ninth in the points table with just four wins in 12 matches, will be playing for their pride and would like to spoil KKR's chances towards a final four finish.
Narine enjoys a dominant match-up against Rohit, having dismissed him eight times in 22 matches at an average of 18.12 and a strike rate of just over 105. He has managed not only to get his wicket regularly, but has also kept his run flow contained. Rohit has managed just 16 fours and two sixes against Narine in 137 balls, as per ESPNCricinfo.
Rohit has scored 268 runs in seven innings at an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of over 164 this tournament, with two fifties and a best score of 84. On the other hand, Narine has been KKR's second-highest wicket-taker, with 13 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 22.15 and an economy rate of 6.69, with best figures of 2/26.
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.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, it's shameful for a team like MI to be playing for pride only. Five-time champions and they can't even make the playoffs this season. But I think they'll spoil KKR's party just because they can. Rohit needs to figure out Narine otherwise it's game over for MI's chances.
As a neutral fan, I just want to see Rohit take Narine down. The stats are scary – 8 times in 22 matches? That's almost every 3rd game. But Rohit is too good a player to be dominated like that. Eden Gardens pitch might help Narine, but if Rohit gets going, watch out!
KKR fans need to calm down. Yes, 15 points might be enough, but we can't rely on other teams losing. We need to win both games and show intent. Narine is our trump card but the batting also has to fire. Cameron Green and Rahane need to step up. Let's go KKR! 💜💛
I find it funny how MI have become the 'party poopers' now. From dominating the league to being in this position shows how fast things can change in IPL. But I respect MI's pride – they'll fight hard. Rohit vs Narine is the key battle, no doubt about it.
Honestly, KKR's playoff chances are very slim. They need too many results to go their way. But you never know in IPL – stranger things have happened. Narine vs Rohit is mouthwatering but the real worry for KKR is their batting
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