IPL 2017: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 5 winning factors

#2 With the Ball

Malinga might make a return to the XI in the match

Mumbai’s frontline pacers had an average outing against Rising Pune Supergiant. While each of Southee, Hardik Pandya and McClenaghan picked up a wicket, that was not good enough to defend a stiff target of 185. Bumrah ended up wicketless but bowled a tidy spell.

However, the real area of concern for MI is their fifth and sixth change bowlers. Both Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard were taken for plenty and Harbhajan Singh was sorely missed.

The right-arm off spinner, though out of national reckoning, has always been a reliable and economical bowler in IPL. The return of Lasith Malinga, fresh after scalping another international hat-trick recently against Bangladesh, will bolster their bowling.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Trent Boult and Woakes had a tough initiation in their first game for the franchise, but both are class new ball operators and can be expected to deliver the goods this time round. In Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine, KKR have the luxury of two bowlers capable of picking wickets as well as tying down batsmen with their unpredictability.

Two vital cogs of the KKR bowling – an in-form Umesh Yadav and Andre Russell – are however missing.