IPL 2014: Match 1 Preview - Mumbai Indians vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain

The Indian summer is here, and perhaps its most defining feature apart from the heat and the humidity is all set to make a grand comeback in a new and a polished avatar. With a host of international and domestic players – comprising of retired, current and even banned players – the 7th season of the IPL promises 7 weeks of high octane drama both on and off the field.

The first match of this season is to be played between the reigning champions Mumbai Indians and the 2012 IPL winners, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Having made it to the playoffs for four successive season, Mumbai Indians, over the last six seasons of the IPL, have been one of the most consistent sides. Owned by the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani, the franchise is known for spending big bucks at the auctions on players and then making them warm the bench for the entire season. This year’s auction was a mixed feeling for this team, as they lost their two most consistent players in Dinesh Karthik and Dwayne Bravo but managed to grab the new sensation Corey Anderson apart from Josh Hazlewood, Ben Dunk and Mike Hussey

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have been the most talked about side in the IPL, thanks to all the controversies the owners, management and the players get themselves into both on and off the field. Owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, it is one of the most followed and loved franchise in the IPL. KKR gained heavily from this auction, as they managed to grab some good Indian players like Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Umesh Yadav, Piyush Chawla and Vinay Kumar, something that they missed dearly in the last season.

Build-up

With only a 10-day gap between the World T20 and the IPL, it is obvious that the players will hardly get any time to bond with their teammates before the season. Both the teams, though, have managed to keep the core of their side intact, unlike some of the other teams who have undergone a complete shuffle.

Having won the last season of the IPL and the Champions League, Mumbai Indians come into this tournament high on confidence. Despite their star player Sachin Tendulkar not being a part of the side any longer, they still have the experience and the ammunition in their batting in the form of Hussey and Rohit Sharma to more than make up for this loss. Zaheer Khan’s return to the bowling line-up, after a gap of 3 years, provides them the much-needed Indian seamer to partner Lasith Malinga, something they have missed since the third season. The spin twins Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha promise to be a handful on the slow wickets of the Middle East. Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard in the middle order provide firepower to the batting line-up.

Kolkata Knight Riders come into this tournament with most of their players looking to prove a point to the national selectors. The team is certainly high on promise, but it is their consistency that will be tested. Led by Indian discard Gautam Gambhir and comprising of Jacques Kallis, Yusuf, Morne Morkel, Chawla, Vinay, Robin Uthappa and Umesh Yadav, none of who are certainties in their national squads for the shortest format of the game, they will certainly be low on confidence at the start. However, the desire to remind the world about their presence is sure to spur the former champs. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine will be back to doing what he does the best: bamboozle batsmen on surfaces conducive to his style of bowling.

IPL Performance:

Year	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Mumbai Indians	5th out of 8 teams	7th out of 8 teams	Finalists	3rd out of 10 teams	4th out of 9 teams	Winners
KKR	6th out of 8 teams	8th out of 8 teams	6th out of 8 teams	4th out of 10 teams	Winners	7th out of 9 teams

Key Players:

Mumbai Indians:

1. Rohit Sharma- He is back to where his dream run began last season, when he was made the captain after Ricky Ponting stepped aside. Returning to the middle order, a position that suits his style of play in T20s, his power hitting and his partnerships with the lower-middle order will go a long way in determining Mumbai’s success in the IPL. His ability to score against pace will hold him in good stead against the likes of Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav.

2. Lasith Malinga – Riding high on confidence on the back of a brilliant spell against India to guide the Lankans to their second World Cup win only a week ago, the slinger would be very keen to continue his dream run for his franchise. The KKR batsmen will surely find it difficult to negotiate and score off his accurate toe-crushing yorkers. His bowling will play a huge role in keeping hard hitters like Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa quiet. In unfavourable conditions to fast bowlers, his pace and experience will certainly help the Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Robin Uthappa- The former India opener seems to be a man on a mission to impress the national selectors. Having played a crucial role in Karnataka’s trio of title wins this year, the IPL would be the perfect platform for him to remind the selectors about his presence. With a varied range of strokes in his kitty and his aggressive intent, KKR would bank on him and Gautam Gambhir to get their team off to a good start. His ability to keep wickets is an added bonus, and it could help his side play an extra batsman or a bowler.

2. Sunil Narine- He was responsible for the Kolkata Knight Riders winning the title in 2012, and his mystery variations will be the key in this season, as well. He would be up against Mumbai’s strong middle order, as he comes in to bowl after the power play. With the surface likely to be on the slower side, he could be lethal and very difficult to read off the surface.

Probable weak link:

Mumbai Indians:

1. Zaheer Khan- Making a comeback to high intensity limited overs cricket after nearly a year, he would be under pressure to deliver right from the start. He has not managed to play an entire season of the IPL since 2010, succumbing to injuries and poor form. He also did not gain much success in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. His death bowling has been poor, and, with explosive batsmen like Yusuf and Andre Russell in the middle order, Zaheer would have to bowl out of his skin to contain them.

2. Aditya Tare- Since Mumbai do not have an international wicket-keeper, it is very likely that he will be the one entrusted with the gloves. His lack of exposure to quality pace and spin bowling could be a cause of worry for the team management, even more so when you take into account that their successful campaign last season was built around the sublime form of their wicket-keeper, Dinesh Karthik.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Piyush Chawla- In a bowling line-up comprising of Morne Morkel and Sunil Narine, the Mumbai batsmen will look to take him on. His bowling has certainly been on the decline since the last time he played for India in 2012, and the management would look to play him as an all-rounder. He would also have to bowl outside his comfort zone in consideration of the fact that he isn’t the leading spinner in this side, as was the case with his previous franchise.
2. Jacques Kallis- Arguably the greatest all-rounder the game has ever seen, Kallis is yet to set the IPL ablaze with his contributions, both with bat and ball. Often criticised for his slow strike-rate, he has been guilty of throwing away matches from winning positions in the past. His bowling form, too, has seen a decline over the last few years. Having last played an international match in December, his rusty form could be exposed against Malinga and company.

Likely Playing XI:

Mumbai Indians - Mike Hussey, Aditya Tare(wk), Ambati Rayadu, Rohit Sharma(c), Shreyas Gopal, Kieron Pollard, Corey Anderson, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha.

Kolkata Knight Riders - Gautam Gambhir(c), Robin Uthappa, Manvinder Bisla(wk), Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Piyush Chawla/Vinay Kumar, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav.

Head-to-head:

Total matches played - 13

Mumbai Indians - 10

Kolkata Knight Riders - 2

Toss Effect:

The toss is unlikely to play a huge role in determining the outcome of the match since the conditions are likely to remain the same for both the teams. However, the team that wins the toss would prefer to bowl first, as both the teams have batsmen who can clear the boundary ropes at will and hence would prefer knowing the total to chase.

A beautiful stadium, great batting wicket, star-studded teams, an electric atmosphere and Indians returning to the Middle East after nine long years, bring on the IPL, I say.