IPL 2017 Playoffs, MI vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders

Top of the points table, and featuring a settled line-up, the Mumbai Indians inexplicably imploded against a spirited Rising Pune Supergiant in the first qualifier. Friday gives them another chance at redemption, this time against the Kolkata Knight Riders, epitomising team strength and riding on the astute captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.

The KKR side managed to get past the rain, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the confusing Duckworth-Lewis calculations to fight another day. Mumbai are expected to come back stronger, backed by their 15-5 win-loss ratio against the Knight Riders in all games.

Two of only three sides to win the title twice, MI and KKR will have to raise their game to the next level, giving fans a cracker of a contest to look forward to. For Mumbai, Rohit Sharma will finally have to step up and be counted, for his numbers ever since returning from injury haven’t been promising.

The rest of the team looks settled, with Ambati Rayudu edging Nitish Rana out on account of experience.

For the KKR side, their biggest strength has been Gambhir, the man who has led the side from the front with an aggressive, unyielding persona. With the bat, he has delivered the goods, rubbing off the calmness on the others whenever he is on the field.

Players like Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Nathan Coulter-Nile have thrived under him, and his pep-talks before the game will motivate them further. The absence of Manish Pandey could be one of the biggest concerns for KKR at the moment, as will be the lack of rest between the Hyderabad and Mumbai. The right-hander was replaced by Ishank Jaggi in the playing XI in the last game, and is expected to retain his place in the side.

Apart from Rohit, the onus will be on the Mumbai veterans: the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard and Rayudu will have to lift their game a notch and get all their playoff experience together to edge past Kolkata’s charge.

Date: 19-05-2017

Time: 2000 (IST)

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Prediction scenarios

KKR			MI
Probability of win vs MI (Based on overall IPL history)	47%		Probability of win vs MI (Based on overall IPL history)	53%
KKR - BATTING FIRST			MI - BATTING FIRST
Win % batting first	40%		Win % batting first	60%
Win % batting first scoring more than 150	25%		Win % batting first scoring more than 170	67%
Avg. Team total batting first	165		Avg. Team total batting first	170
1st innings	Manish Pandey: R - 203, SR - 134.43, 50s - 1; Robin Uthappa: R-155, SR-156.56, 50s-2		1st innings	Kieron Pollard: R-134, SR-132.67, 50s-1
KKR - BATTING SECOND			MI - BATTING SECOND
Win % batting second	70%		Win % batting second	70%
Win % chasing more than 170	60%		Win % chasing more than 170	75%
Team total batting second	187		Team total batting second	177
	Gautam Gambhir: R-381, SR-132.75, 50s-4			Parthiv Patel: R-302, SR-141.12, 50s-2
KKR - BOWLING FIRST			MI - BOWLING FIRST
Win % bowling first	70%		Win % bowling first	70%
Win % when restricting opposition to 160 or less	100%		Win % when restricting opposition to less than 160	100%
	174			172
	Umesh Yadav: W-13, RPO-8.97			Mitchell McClenaghan: W-13, RPO-10.07
KKR - BOWLING SECOND			MI - BOWLING SECOND
Win % fielding second	40%		Win % fielding second	60%
Win % when restricting opposition to less than 160	67%		Win % when restricting opposition to less than 150	67%
Opposition Avg. Score batting second	167		Opposition Avg. Score batting second	149
	Chris Woakes: W-10, RPO-7.93			Mitchell McClenaghan: W-6, RPO-7.42