Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Tips: Wobbly KKR under pressure

Click here Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders odds
Sunday 29 March,16:00
TV: Sky Sports

Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team news

Mumbai Indians' greatest challenge is picking the right 12 players to win them games. If they are bold and look to the future they may improve their chances of doing that by selecting Ryan Rickleton and Allah Ghazanfar.

If they are cautious and enthrall to big-name reputation they go with Quinton de Kock and Mitchell Santner. This column suggests that MI would be better served doing the former. 

Otherwise they may find themselves reliant on their domestic superstars not leaving it to one another. if MI are bang at it few teams can live with them. 

Possible XI: Rohit, Rickleton, Tilak, Sky, Hardik, Jacks, Dhir (Markande sub), Shardul, Boult, Bumrah, Ghazanfar

Kolkata Knight Riders have had a horrible preparation. They have lost half of their bowling group to injury with Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana injured. The first two have been ruled out for the season with Pathirana required to pass a fitness test by the Sri Lankan board.

Blessing Muzarabani, the Zimbabwe pacer, has signed but they could still struggle to field six bowling options. It is possible that could negate their one clear strength (the Kiwi opening pair) by splitting them up to find room for Cameron Green or Rachin Ravindra.

Possible XI: Seifert, Allen, Rahane, Raghuvanshi (sub Umran Malik), Tripathi, Rinku, Ramandeep, Narine, Chakaravarthy, Arora, Muzarabani

Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL pitch report

The Wankhede is a small ground and is usually reliable for runs. The runs per over in the last 17 IPL matches is a whopping 9.39. There is a slight advantage for sides batting second with a 10-7 split plus a 0.4 increase in run rate. 

We would expect to see a high par line, possibly at 190.5 but that mark has been busted only eight times. Sportsbook offer [5/1] that both teams hit 200. That has won four times in the study period. 

Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL match prediction

Mumbai are expected to get off to a winning start according to the match odds. They begin in the 1.608/13 zone which is the realms of the crack franchise team. That is what MI should be given the players at their disposal; four World Cup winners for example.

But it may not all go their way if this Wankhede surface is traditionally flat and the visitors bat first. If KKR pick the Seifert-Allen combination then pressure can be applied with a fast start. KKR could well make this a choice affair by the break.

We would expect MI to get up in the chase, however. Anything up to 210 has them in the game and at inflated odds. The lack of bowling nous for KKR is an issue which could be exposed early.

If trading in and out is not for you a more simple option is backing KKR for over 8.5 runs after their ten-over mark at 10/111.91. Check the Kiwi pair are playing, though, before doing so yourself. 

Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders IPL player tips

Seifert should enjoy batting on the Wankhede surface, allowing him to hit through the line with abandon. His runs line at 20.5 overs at 5/61.84 looks cheap. He has busted it 15 times in his last 25. 

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