MI Vs KKR, IPL 2024: Three Key Player Battles To Watch Out

Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next group-stage fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. (Key Stats | Preview)

The Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians are on the verge of elimination from the playoffs after winning just three games in 10 matches played so far. Shreyas Iyer's KKR have six wins in the nine games played so far and they stand at second spot in the table.

Mumbai Indians have lost their last three games on trot whereas KKR are coming after beating Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in an easy chase. Opening batter Phil Salt made 33-ball 68 and Varun Chakaravarthy took three wickets for which he was also awarded with the Player of the Match.

Harshit Rana may not be available for selection for the match against MI as he will be facing a suspension for one match for celebrating after taking the wicket of Abishek Porel in the match against DC.

MI Vs KKR Full Squads:

Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Nehal Wadhera, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Shams Mulani, Dewald Brevis, Kumar Kartikeya, Luke Wood, Shreyas Gopal, Harvik Desai, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka

Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt(w), Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dushmantha Chameera, Allah Ghazanfar, Sakib Hussain, Sherfane Rutherford, Chetan Sakariya, Nitish Rana, Srikar Bharat

Both are competitive teams and have some world-class players. So, it will be exciting to see who comes on top of whom. Three key player battles are worth looking out for from the MI Vs KKR match in the IPL 2024;

1. Phil Salt vs Jasprit Bumrah

Phil Salt is in good form and will be facing the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, and Nuwan Tushara after playing a quick knock of 33-ball 68 in the last inning against Delhi Capitals. He has been a guiding force of the KKR batting and Bumrah must be coming up with some plans for him. He is a world-class bowler with a toe-crushing yorker and lethal bouncers. Salt will also try to attack the Indian great to make quick runs.

2. Rohit Sharma vs Mitchell Starc

The former MI captain is not in the best of forms but can not be taken lightly in any match. Rohit Sharma likes to bat at Wankhede Stadium and he recently scored his first IPL century at the venue as well. Mitchell Starc, on the other hand, will be trying to not let him settle on the pitch. Sharma struggles against left-arm swing bowlers and Starc has that delivery which can prove to be lethal against him. The battle of the two modern-day greats will be an interesting experience for the audience.

3. Sunil Narine vs Hardik Pandya

Sunil Narine has been in great form this season, and he will be looking to carry that momentum into the game against MI. However, he might face a challenge from MI's captain Hardik Pandya, who has clever bowling skills that can pose a threat to Narine's destructive batting. Both players are all-rounders and can switch their roles as the innings change. Hence, they can pose a significant threat to each other, making the game more exciting to watch.