IPL 2024 MI v KKR Preview - Can the Knight Riders maintain their charge?

Key match stats

Pitch Stats – Wankhede Stadium IPL records

Wankhede Stadium Pitch report from the 10 most recent IPL matches played

Team form MI vs
MI: LWLLL
KKR: WLWLW

Recent meetings: IPL 2023 - MI won by 5 wickets

Weather

General Forecast: Dry and Clear
Chance of dew: High

Preview MI vs KKR

Mumbai Indians' chances of reaching the playoffs now rest as much on the results of others as they do in their own hands. Victories in their final 4 games would take them to 7 wins and I've alluded to in an earlier blog that might be enough given the inconsistency of the sides in midtable.

In fact, as I write this preview ahead of the SRH v RR match, both teams will have a vested interest in the result in Hyderabad. MI desperately need the Royals to keep up their fine form while KKR could probably see a benefit to either result. Another Rajasthan win is going to make them difficult to catch at the top of the league but the true aim for KKR is a top 2 finish and the easier route to the final it provides.

Having won their first 3 matches of IPL 2024, The Knight Riders form has since slipped to win one, lose one. They won their previous match against Delhi Capitals in convincing form and will hope to get back to some consistency here at the Wankhede.

The win against Delhi was based off an impressive spell of bowling with the new ball on a pitch that had otherwise offered plenty of runs in IPL 2024. Can they find something similar at the Wankhede? We've certainly seen some teams extract movement early on in games at the Wankhede, most notably Rajasthan, so the likes of Arora and Starc may yet prove to be a handful.

One fast bowler that KKR will need to do without in this match is Harshit Rana who was suspended for a level 1 breach of the code of conduct in KKR's last game. While there's been no official statement regarding the precise nature of the breach, it seems likely to have been as a result of his celebration when dismissing Abhishek Porel.

https://twitter.com/linktoshyju/status/1785306337343398173

Harshit actually holds himself back from blowing a kiss (something that he did to an SRH batsmen earlier in the tournament). It seems a pretty harsh decision in the context of some of the behaviour you see on a cricket pitch and to be honest who wants 'nice' fast bowlers in the game anyway?

Mumbai Indians could do with a bit more passion in their squad. It was another abject performance against Lucknow last time out and they were indebted to young Nehal Wadhera for helping them avoid total calamity with the left-hander coming to the crease with the score at 27/4.

However, KKR would do well not to write MI off just yet particularly here at the Wankhede. Mumbai have won 7 of their last 10 matches at this stadium including the equivalent fixture here against KKR last year.

On that occasion, a brilliant century by Venkatesh Iyer was not enough for Kolkata. His 104 represented 61% of the runs that KKR managed to score off the bat with MI strolling to victory with 14 balls to spare. With a high chance of dew impacting at least the 2nd innings of this match too then I would expect both teams to favour batting 2nd at the toss.

MI KKR head to head

KKR bowling vs MI batting

Mitchell Starc returned to the side in the win against Delhi Capitals and got the all important wicket of fellow Aussie Jake Fraser-McGurk. However, thereafter he continued to be very expensive in comparison to the rest of KKR attack and on a pitch like the one at the Wankhede, he might be too much of a risk to take.

Rohit Sharma head to head Chameera T20 cricket

The alternative then would be to bring back Dushmantha Chameera who not only has a good record at the Wankhede (5 wickets at an economy of 6.5) but he also gets Rohit Sharma out for fun in T20 cricket!

After a strong start to IPL 2024, Rohit has delivered single figure scores in his last 3 innings, a concern not just for MI but also the India side as attention begins to shift to the upcoming World T20.

The loss of Harshit Rana hurts not only KKR's plans early in the innings where he is effective at seaming the ball into right-handers but at the death too. Rana has bowled more death overs than any other KKR bowler this season and in the context of many of the high scoring games he's been involved in, has performed well.

Russell IPL bowling record at the Wankhede

The most natural replacement to help close the innings for KKR would be Andre Russeell. However, the big all-rounder has managed just 10.2 overs in his last 7 IPL matches with KKR apparently keen to protect his ample frame from the kind of injuries that have become common place over the course of these intense IPL seasons.

Run scoring at the Wankhede routinely gets easier as the innings and match progresses so MI will no doubt target a big finish against a weakened KKR attack.

MI bowling vs KKR batting

While I say that quick run scoring at the back end of matches at the Wankhede is very possible, in more recent games, the powerplay scores here have also been on the rise. With the exception of the game against CSK, one if not both of KKR's opening pair have fired this season so MI have their work cut out in limiting that particular onslaught.

Narine IPL batting record at the Wankhede*

Sunil Narine hasn't found runs in any of his previous visits to the Wankhede but Bumrah aside, he might fancy his chances of improving his record here against this MI attack.

While Bumrah remains very much in the hunt of the purple cap this season, he has taken just 1 wicket in his last 3 appearances and in fact has gone wicketless in half of MI's games this season.

10 of Bumrah's 14 IPL 2024 wickets to date have come in the 3 games that MI have won this season, with a further 3 in the opening fixture against GT, a match that MI really should have won.

Shreyas Iyer head to head Bumrah

The equation then for any side playing against MI then is pretty simple, see off Bumrah and you win the game!

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All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL player head to head records
IPL player records by stadium
IPL stadium records.
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