IPL 2021 Match 5 – Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians Betting Preview

IPL 2021: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians – Preview, Prediction, Probable Playing XIs and Value Bets

Match Details
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Tuesday, April 13th, 2021
16:00 SA Time

Betting Preview

The fifth match of the IPL 2021 sees Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face off against the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The contest between these two sides is the most lopsided in the league. No other franchise has dominated a team the way MI have dominated KKR. Out of 27 matches between the two, MI have beaten KKR 21 times. KKR have managed to win only one game of the last 12 encounters. Although MI start as the favourites, KKR will have the momentum on their side.

Mumbai Indians started their 2021 IPL campaign with a loss, as they’ve done since 2013. MI lost to RCB in a thrilling match on the last ball by two wickets courtesy of an AB de Villiers’ masterclass. Mumbai started the first innings well and were at 94-1 after 10.5 overs as Chris Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav looked in threatening touch. But then the first match demons hit them as the collapse started, MI ended with only 159. Mumbai’s pacers looked threatening but the spinners Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar were taken apart by Glenn Maxwell. Young South African Marco Jansen showed good promise on his debut on the big stage.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have started their season with a victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad by 10 runs. On a tricky deck in Chennai, KKR’s Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi showed incredible intent and took down every SRH bowler except Rashid Khan. Dinesh Karthik’s late blitz off helped KKR reach 187-6. Defending the total, Prasidh Krishna looked impressive picking up two wickets of Warner and Nabi Cummins did well in the middle overs while Russell displayed his death overs brilliance once again.

Injury and Availability News

Mumbai Indians’ wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock, who missed the first match against RCB due to the mandatory quarantine period will be available for the second match. KKR’s all the players will be available for the selection.

Probable Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Pat Cummins, Shakib Al Hassan, Harbhajan Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy.

Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne/Marco Jansen, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.

Pitch and Conditions

The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai has usually been a low scoring venue. The average first innings score at Chepauk in 2019 was only 144. However, in IPL 2021, the pitches in two matches at this venue so far have been tricky. The four innings have seen scores of 159, 160, 187 & 177.

Key Players to Watch Out For

Shubman Gill: The talented Indian batsman has been under the pump for a while for his slow scoring rate. Shubman Gill, who scored 440 runs at an average of 33.8 in IPL 2020, did so with a below par strike rate of 118. Gill struggled to get going in the first match as he scored 15 off 13 deliveries. However the 21-year old should enjoy the extra pace that MI bowlers offer.

Andre Russell: The KKR superstar needs no introduction. After having the worst season of his career in IPL 2020, Andre Russell is fitter, fresher and more determined to light the league on fire. Dre Russ’ IPL average and strike rate of 29.3 & 181.8 respectively drop down to 21.8 & 155 against Mumbai Indians. He would certainly like to improve those numbers.

Quinton de Kock: The South African wicket-keeper batsman had played an important part in MI winning the trophy in 2020. The left handed attacking opener was responsible for giving the team brisk starts throughout the season. Quinton de Kock has scored 500-plus runs for MI in two consecutive IPL editions. His numbers were even better in the second season for MI as struck at 140.5. de Kock, who missed the first match, will be looking to take on KKR bowlers from the get-go.

Trent Boult: The New Zealand pacer had a terrific turnaround in his T20 career when he played for Mumbai Indians in the 2020 IPL. Trent Boult showcased his sublime new ball bowling skills and picked 25 wickets, of which 16 came in the powerplay. His early blows pushed the opponents on the backfoot game in and game out. The NZ pacer was generating the swing in the first game against RCB. With KKR’s vulnerable top order, Boult could be a real threat with the new ball.

What Bets To Take

Kolkata Knight Riders

Shubman Gill to be KKR’s top batsman at 3.60.

Lockie Ferguson to be KKR’s top bowler at 3.60.

Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma to be MI’s top batsman at 3.50.

Jasprit Bumrah to be MI’s top bowler at 3.00.

Prediction: Mumbai Indians to win at 1.68.