IPL 2016, MI vs KKR Match Prediction: Who will win today’s battle between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders

The Knight Riders travel to Mumbai to take on the Mumbai Indians in Match no. 24 of the Vivo IPL. This will be Mumbai's last game at the Wankhede as far as this edition of the IPL is concerned and their players would love to give their loyal fans a parting gift by getting the better of KKR. It will a tough game for the Indians though, with the Knight riders playing some outstanding cricket this season. KKR have had players who have stood up in crunch situations and delivered for their side. It was well demonstrated in their previous game against the Supergiants. Mumbai will be upbeat too after beating Punjab comprehensively and they would love to keep their impressive record against KKR intact. The team batting second will have a massive advantage here and the toss will be crucial. I will stick my neck out and put Mumbai Indians just inches ahead of the Knight Riders for this clash.

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Match date: April 28, 2016

Match timings: 2000 hrs IST

If Mumbai Indians bat first

Predicted score: 175 plus

Parthiv Patel came into his own in the last game against Punjab. He almost batted through the innings and accelerated brilliantly towards the end. His innings started out as a scratchy one with a few reprieves but he gathered momentum rapidly much to the delight of the MI ‘paltan’. Rohit Sharma has been in pretty good touch even though he failed to get going in the last game. Another player who has been in magical form is Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu has played the perfect role of a number 3 batsman and has assessed the situation brilliantly in every game.

If the top three can score 120 runs between them then it will be advantage Mumbai. Expect a score of around 55 in the powerplays. The rate will slow down when the KKR tweakers get their act together in the middle overs. With Buttler, Pollard, and the Pandya brothers coming later in the innings Mumbai should get close to 55 in the last 5 of their innings.

The bowlers have been mighty impressive for Mumbai with McClenaghan and Southee providing early breakthroughs consistently. McClenaghan has been superb in the death too with the Indian sensation Jasprit Bumrah giving him good company. On the spin front, Harbhajan and Krunal Pandya will try to keep it tight but the presence of dew will make life difficult for them. Wankhede is a nightmare when it comes to defending totals and Mumbai needs to rise up to the challenge.

If Kolkata Knight Riders bat first

Predicted score: 170 plus

KKR will once again want their keeper-skipper opening combo of Uthappa and Gambhir to fire on all cylinders. If those two get going, expect KKR to rapidly reach the 60 run mark at the end of the powerplays. Manish Pandey is down with chicken pox and he was replaced by R. Sathish in the last game. Sathish was pretty tidy with the ball but had a brain fade while batting under pressure. It was also a masterstroke to play Suryakumar Yadav at the top of the order against the Supergiants and we might see the same batting order in this game too.

Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell will occupy the middle order with the latter capable of mass destruction in a stadium as diminutive as the Wankhede. The mere presence of the big man Yusuf Pathan can send shivers down the spines of the spinners in the opposition especially when conditions are not conducive for spin bowling. Expect KKR to notch up a big score in the range of 170 plus.

The spinners are the backbone for the Knight Riders but if they bowl second, the likes of Narine, Chawla and Shakib will find it difficult to grip the ball. The dew will negate the threat the KKR spinners bring with them. Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav will be expected to get the crucial wickets early on in the innings. If the Knight Riders don’t pick a couple of top order wickets in the first six overs, it should be easy peasy for Mumbai while chasing.

Probable winners: Mumbai Indians