IPL Betting: Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Find Me A 100 Winner / Scott Ferguson / 26 April 2009 / Leave a Comment

Winning the toss could prove crucial at Port Elizabeth where cool conditions for a game played under the floodlights may make batting tricky, says Scott Ferguson.

Team news

Mumbai have only played two matches and were settled in one city all last week rather than jumping on and off of planes. Seven batsmen have made 20 or more in an innings, a good sign of depth but only Sachin Tendulkar has performed in both matches. Lasith Malinga leads the bowling figures with six wickets at 4.25 per over. Harbhajan Singh hasn't been damaging yet with just two wickets, but has conceded only a run a ball so far. Zaheer Khan is the concern, no wickets at over eight per over, but it's unlikely Mumbai will change anyone but a fringe player.

Kolkata have finally trimmed their squad down to a manageable number of 20, rather than the original number of 54! However nine of the remaining players are foreigners which seems rather pointless since only four can play at a time. Whether they have sent home the culprit of the brilliant Fake IPL Player blog, if it really is a player, is yet to be seen. Ajit Agarkar should have been on that plane home too, the phrase "can't bat, can't bowl, can't field" springs to mind. Ajay Mendis proved a revelation in the match against the Royals, at least until he bowled the super over. We've yet to see Brendon McCullum unleash with the bat.

Venue, pitch and conditions

Only two matches have been played in Port Elizabeth so far. Cooler conditions have led to lower scores and a day-night game is sure to favour the team batting first. Under 300 runs for the match might be a decent price.

Match Odds

On form so far, Mumbai should be clear favourites, but if Chris Gayle and McCullum hit their straps, anything can happen. Both teams have plenty of talent with bat and ball so a win for either wouldn't surprise. I mark it Mumbai [1.8], KKR [2.25], so unless something significantly better is available I can't see any reason to get involved pre-toss. The team batting first will have a massive advantage in this game.

Top batsmen

With markets only forming just before the match, it's not a market to get too excited about. Tendulkar and Gayle are well clear of their teammates so far, and in such great form, it's hard to oppose them unless silly odds are offered on the others.

Other markets

KKR have the explosive openers at both ends whereas Mumbai tend to build a solid foundation through Sachin. KKR should be favourite in the Highest 6 Over Total market, so back them at odds against if available.