The Kolkata Knight Riders are a team in a hurry. With the 14th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) reaching its business end, KKR cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal. Sitting on the fourth spot in the points table, Kolkata faces a tough challenge in their upcoming encounter against Mumbai Indians, who have not lost to KKR in their last nine meetings at the Wankhede Stadium. Kolkata will have no time for rest or relaxation as they look to break the jinx and keep their playoff hopes alive. In this article, we will take a closer look at the challenges that Kolkata faces as they gear up for this crucial encounter.
Kolkata Knight Riders will play their second game in 48 hours after hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at home. This match will be an afternoon game against Mumbai Indians at their fortress, Wankhede Stadium, where the Knight Riders have only won once overall and have lost to Mumbai four times. However, Nitish Rana’s team has won the last three contests between the two teams. Both teams face challenges with their fast bowling departments, with the Knight Riders having the worst stats in terms of average, strike rate, and economy. Their bowlers have also taken the lowest number of wickets despite having experienced players like Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson. Fitness concerns linger over the injured Andre Russell, who bowled only 2.1 overs before leaving the game on Friday against Hyderabad, while Mumbai quicks have bagged only eight wickets in three matches. Their main strike bowler, Jofra Archer, hasn’t played for two games due to an elbow issue. In terms of team news, David Wiese could replace Russell, while if Archer is absent, Riley Meredith is set to continue. Batting second has been a winning trend at Wankhede Stadium, and Suyash Sharma is the Knight Riders’ Impact Player in combination with Venkatesh Iyer. Mumbai will consider swapping Tim David and Jason Behrendoff after starting with three overseas players. A dry pitch is expected with afternoon temperatures hovering in the early 30s C. Sunil Narine is likely to continue to bowl one over in powerplay in each match this season, while Rohit Sharma needs 44 more runs to get 6,000 runs in the IPL, and he also needs to hit five more sixes to become the first Indian batter and third overall to record 250 sixes in the tournament.
As Kolkata Knight Riders gear up to break their Wankhede jinx, it’s clear that there’s no time to pause for them. With a packed schedule and tough opponents, they need to stay focused and give it their all. The team has a strong lineup and the talent to overcome the odds. Will they finally emerge victorious at Wankhede? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: the Kolkata Knight Riders won’t be taking their foot off the gas anytime soon.
