Rampaging MI up against Gayle-inspired KXIP

A win for Mumbai Indians will virtually seal it a spot in the play-offs while a loss for KXIP could send it out of contention. Mumbai Indians has steamrolled opposition teams with an explosive batting line-up complemented by a lethal bowling attack and the latest side to bear its brunt was the Kolkata Knight Riders which suffered an eight-wicket defeat on Friday.

Table-topper MI boasts of top batsmen such as captain Rohit Sharma (251 runs) and his opening partner Quinton de Kock (269) and both are in good touch, while the middle-order is manned by the likes of Suryakumar Yadav (243 runs) and Ishan Kishan (186 runs). Rohit played second fiddle to de Kock in MI’s win against KKR, with the South African hitting 78 not out from 44 balls.

In the bowling front, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult have formed the most successful pair this IPL with 12 wickets apiece from eight matches so far. Spinner Rahul Chahar chipped in against KKR with two wickets for 18 runs.

On the other hand, KXIP is languishing at the bottom of the table despite having the top-two leading run-getters of the tournament in skipper K L Rahul (387 runs at a strike rate of 134.84) and his opening partner, Mayank Agarwal (337 runs). KXIP’s problem has been that its batting and bowling have not fired in unison on most occasions even though its confidence has been boosted by the return of Gayle.

The self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ made his first appearance this IPL with a bang, hitting a 45-ball 53, a knock that was laced with five sixes and a four in KXIP’s win over Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore. A captivating duel may be in store between Gayle on one side andBumrah and Boult on the other.

KXIP has other in-form batsmen in Rahul and Agarwal, with both or at least one of them scoring big in almost every match.

But its bowling has been the weakest link. Barring Mohammad Shami and Ravi Bishnoi, none of the bowlers have inspired confidence, especially in the death overs. Not being able to find the right balance despite trying out many options has also contributed to KXIP’s rapid slide.