IPL LIVE : RCB VS DD

New Delhi: Feroz Shah Kotla plays host to Match 26 of the IPL as home team Delhi Daredevils (DD) takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Both teams come into this match on the back of resounding wins. DD beat MI by 37 runs in Match 21, while RCB got their mojo back with a 9-wicket win over high-flying RR in Match 22.

Over the years, RCB has dominated this fixture with wins in all their last 7 meetings with DD. Overall, Virat Kohli's team enjoys a 8-5 advantage in the head-to-head record against JP Duminy's Daredevils.

With a scramble for third and fourth position expected as the league moves into its business end, DD and RCB will hope to consolidate their chances with a win in the match that would in turn help their respective sides to put together a string of consistent results.

Based on current form, these two teams are expected to be in the running for a play-offs place. As they get ready to battle it out at the Kotla, we select a key player from each franchise who could be the difference maker in Match 26.

Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli seems to have hit form at the right for RCB. The skipper scored a solid unbeaten fifty as his side swatted away the Royals in their last match. Despite a slow start, Kohli has stacked up decent numbers so far in this edition of the IPL. The right-hander has scored 185 runs with 2 fifties in 5 matches at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 117.08. RCB rely heavily on the 26-year-old as he along with Gayle and De Villiers, forms the batting backbone of the franchise. Against DD, Kohli will be determined to put on a great show on the return to his hometown.

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IPL LIVE : KKR VS RR

Kolkata Knight Riders have played like defending champions for most part of the Indian Premier League this year. Their batting has not looked as formidable as it did in 2014, but Gautam Gambhir's consistency has covered a lot of weak areas. His opening partner Robin Uthappa has not been able to replicate his form from the last season and the lower-order, barring sparks of brilliance from Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan has looked a little dodgy.

But KKR's biggest setback came in the form of another notice on Sunil Narine's action. The West Indian mystery spinner is eligible to play but it's unlikely the team will risk him unless his action has been cleared again. Chances are therefore that Narine won't be played against the Rajasthan Royals. Kolkata still have enough in their bowling resources: Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Johan Botha, Piyush Chawla make for a lethal bowling attack. Narine's absence may not even make much difference because he has been far from his usual.

Rajasthan Royals on the other hand, face a strange situation after starting the season with a bang. They won five matches on-the-trot but the streak came to an end against last year's runners-up Kings XI Punjab. RR were in a great position to win at Motera before a late resurgence by KXIP helped the latter clinch a Super Over win. That was followed by a shock defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Royals have now slipped to No.2 on the table and a defeat at the Eden Gardens would still keep them there; but a win would see them upstage Chennai Super Kings at the top of the pile. (Rajasthan Royals Coach Upset With Batsmen)

Overcoming KKR at the Eden Gardens is never easy but if any team has the ability to run the Knight Riders close, it is RR. They bat deep: Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Karun Nair, Stuart Binny, James Faulkner and Deepak Hooda. That is a dream batting line-up in the IPL.

The Royals also have a strong bowling unit with Tim Southee, Chris Morris, Pravin Tambe and Faulkner sharing the bulk of the responsibilities. Will they click as a unit again and rock KKR in their fortress?

Sunil Narine Available for Selection, Claims Knight Riders' Captain Gambhir

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir on Saturday confirmed that West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, reported for suspected bowling action, will be up for selection against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Sunday.

Kolkata Knight Riders Players Shaken by Earthquake

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) players took to Twitter on Saturday to express how they felt just after an earthquake hit Kolkata on Saturday.

Kolkata Knight Riders Don't Lack Batting Firepower, Claims Captain Gautam Gambhir

Skipper Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) do not lack batting firepower and hopes to see a turnaround of fortunes when they meet Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

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CSK VS KXIP LIVE

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Chennai Super Kings, currently second in the Pepsi IPL 2015 standings, will look to stretch their lead from the rest of the pack, when they take on Kings XI Punjab.
CSK have won four of their five matches so far – their only defeat being against the Rajasthan Royals. The team bounced back in style after that defeat, handing the Royal Challengers Bangalore a 27-run thrashing.
Kings XI Punjab have two wins from five outings this season. In their previous outing, they came from behind to first level scores with Rajasthan Royals, and then turned on the heat in the Super Over to walk away with two points from the match. The team will be buoyed by the result in that match and will be all pumped up for battle when they take the field in this match.
The prospect of showers on match day adds an element of suspense to the contest too. There were showers on the eve of the match; while that would have certainly brought the temperatures down, it will have sent the humidity levels soaring and that presents a whole new challenge to players from both teams.
The top three batsmen in the CSK lineup are the team’s biggest match-winners. Suresh Raina has won CSK many a game single-handedly, while Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have provided the team with blazing starts. Ashish Nehra has been the leader of the bowling unit so far in the competition. But on a Chepauk surface that is known to traditionally assist the spinners, the onus will be on the spin-bowling duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Coach Stephen Fleming said as much in his chat with the media on the eve of the match; he said, “The spinning aspect of our game hasn’t been as affective as it has in the previous years so far and it is one area where in this game we would like to get a bit more penetration.”
The CSK coach further added, “In our home games Ashwin has been our lead bowler. It is not that he is in bad form. Jadeja is someone we would like more from and we are working hard at it.”
KXIP have just as much ammunition in their ranks as CSK, especially on the batting front. But the impact players in the side are Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. The T20 batting strike-rates of the three players – 148.45, 157.05 and 138.42 – best illustrates how dangerous they can be.
There is a bit of a history between R Ashwin and Glenn Maxwell; the Australian batsman boasts of a strike-rate of 262.97 against the CSK off-spinner, having scored 71 runs off 27 balls in the IPL. The off-spinner had his way when the two players squared-off in the semi-final of the World Cup 2015.
KXIP’s Virender Sehwag knows a thing or two about the CSK left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra; both players have grown up playing for Delhi and later played for India. The CSK quick has had a dream season and has been too hot to handle, even clinching the Purple Cap briefly. The battle between Sehwag and Nehra promises to make for a very good contest.
The Chennai Super Kings have a 8-7 win-loss record in IPL matches against Kings XI Punjab.
The two teams met on three occasions last season – twice in the league stage and later in the Playoff, and KXIP held their own in all the three matches. Glenn Maxwell’s 43-ball 95 powered KXIP in their chase of 206 in the first meeting in Abu Dhabi, before returning to torment CSK again, this time scoring 90 off 38 balls in Cuttack.
In the third meeting – in Qualifier 2 – Virender Sehwag turned on the heat, scoring 122 at the top of the innings and powering his team to 226. CSK fell 24 runs short then, despite Suresh Raina’s blitzkrieg 25-ball 87.
Chennai Super Kings have fielded the same XI in their five matches so far in Pepsi IPL 2015.
Chennai Super Kings have the best scoring rate of all teams in Pepsi IPL 2015 – 9.15.
Glenn Maxwell has scored more runs in IPL against the Chennai Super Kings than against any other opponent. In three innings against CSK, he has scored 198 runs at a strike-rate of 227.58. His scores against CSK read: 95 (43 balls), 90 (38 balls) and 13 (6 balls).
R Ashwin has figures of 0 for 51 in the four overs he has bowled in the last three matches. His overall economy rate in IPL matches against KXIP is 8.09 – his poorest economy rate against any of the IPL teams.
The average first innings total in matches between CSK and KXIP is 174. The team batting first has posted more than 180 in 9 of the 15 matches between the two teams. The first innings total in the last three matches between these two teams read: KXIP 226-6, KXIP 231-4 and CSK 205-4.

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IPL 8 : LASITH MALINGA VS DAVID WARNER FIGHT

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MUMBAI INDIANS VS DELHI DAREDEVILS LIVE

An inconsistent Delhi Daredevils will look to break the home jinx when they take on struggling Mumbai Indians in their sixth match of the IPL cricket tournament at Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday inflicted a six-wicket loss on Delhi, handing them their ninth straight home defeat since 2013.

Earlier the Jean-Paul Duminy-led side had bounced back with two wins after two opening losses to snap their 11-match losing streak. Winning two of their four close encounters in this season, DD looked like a well-balanced side until defending champions KKR exposed their weaknesses.
With a mix of youth and experience, the batting seemed to respond well with the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, Duminy and Yuvraj Singh coming good in the initial games. But Iyer, Yuvraj and Manoj Tiwary squandered away decent starts against a potent KKR attack. Even the bowling, which had looked impactful with Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra and Nathan Coulter-Nile picking wickets, phased out against the strong KKR line-up, led by skipper Gautam Gambhir.
Assistant coach Praveen Amre, however, remained optimistic and termed this failure as a one-odd outing. He promised the team would once again get back to winning ways against their fierce city rivals.
"We still have three games here and the two away wins were also important for us. I think the next game we play against Mumbai Indians will be very important for us," said the former India cricketer.

Mumbai, on the other hand, have had a terrible run in season eight so far with four losses and a single win in their five games.
The bottom-placed side did come good in their previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore but were tested even after posting 209 runs on the board after batting first. The top-order though did come good against RCB with Lendl Simmons and Unmukt Chand getting fifties and skipper Rohit Sharma also hitting a valuable 15-ball 42.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is also in top form after picking 8 wickets from 4 games, a rank behind top wicket-taker Tahir (10 scalps in 5 matches). Not to forget Bhajji's value with the bat after the lower-order tonker hit 24-ball 64 in a losing cause against Kings XI Punjab.
With the two sides going with a 5-all head-to-head record in the 21st match of the season, Delhi appears to be better on paper with their current record and league standing but with the two cities having a history of fierce rivalry on and off the field, the fans should await an exciting encounter.

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BANGLADESH WINS SERIES AGAINST PAKISTAN 3-0

Another comprehensive win for Bangladesh. Chasing 251, openers Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal shared an excellent 145-run stand, before the latter was dismissed. Tamim completed his 29th ODI fifty and this is the first time in the series that he has dismissed before scoring a hundred. Although Mahmudullah went soon after, Sarkar carried on and completed his maiden ODI hundred. Mushfiqur Rahim then gave Sarkar good company and the duo took Bangladesh past the line to sweep the ODI series 3-0. Although Junaid Khan picked up two wickets, he was very expensive. Umar Gul wasn't impressive in his comeback game either. Mohammad Hafeez being cleared to bowl by the ICC came as big boost for Pakistan, but he could not give them a breakthrough, despite bowling an economical spell.


It is a carnival atmosphere at the Sher-e-Bangla tonight. The crowd are going mental. The players walk off and the Pakistanis wait to shake hands with their counterparts. Mortaza is all smiles. As are all the Bangladeshis. 'It is a magical moment' says Athar Ali Khan on air and I agree. Bangladesh may have reached the World Cup quarter-final but sweeping Pakistan 3-0 is perhaps their greatest achievement in ODIs.

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CHENNAI SUPER KINGS VS BANGALORE ROYAL CHALLENGERS LIVE

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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 20th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. The two powerhouses have engaged in some thrilling matches in the past, with CSK usually coming out on top.



RCB have perhaps the most explosive batting line-up in the tournament with Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers making up three of the top five. In Mitchell Starc, they have the leading wicket-taker of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and also the Man of the Tournament.



On the other hand, Chennai are a champion side, and have two players in their side who captained their teams with distinction, and lost only two matches between them.



Brendon McCullum was responsible for getting New Zealand off to blazing starts, while MS Dhoni finished matches with his usual skill. Between the two of them, CSK will be sure to enjoy a period of productivity and positive leadership.

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IPL live : Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils

Indian Premier League returns to the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai after a lengthy break when home-team Chennai Super Kings take the field on April 9. While N Srinivasan's conflict of interest issue and Gurunath Meiyappan's involvement in the betting and spot-fixing controversy were the main points of focus in media recently, the two-time champions will be keen to put that on the back-seat and get their campaign off to a successful start.
Their opponents are Delhi Daredevils, who made drastic changes to their personnel after a couple of disastrous seasons which saw them finish twice at the bottom of the table. With a new skipper in JP Duminy and experienced players like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Angelo Mathews, the Gary Kirsten-coached Delhi side will be eager to start afresh.
Venue: MA Chidambaram stadium, Chennai
Date: April 9, 2015
Time: 20:00 IST
Weather: Clear skies have been forecast while the temperatures will be around the 30 degree C mark with a high humidity of 79-82%
Team news
Chennai Super Kings
Under the able leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings have been the most successful team of IPL, with a win percentage close to 61. They have a tried and tested line-up which has served the team well over the years. Brendon McCullum, who joined CSK last year, had a good outing in 2014 and he will be the one the team will bank on for fiery starts. While McCullum was in superb form in the recently-concluded World Cup and will be expected to extend his fine run, the same cannot be said of his opening partner Dwayne Smith, who looked out of touch in the multi-team event. Smith might have been one of the top run-getters for CSK last year, but his performance will be under scrutiny and unless he gets going in the initial few matches, the experienced Michael Hussey could get the nod over the West Indian opener.
CSK boast of a formidable middle order with the presence of Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Dhoni, along with quality allrounders like Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja. Du Plessis, Raina and Dhoni came up with solid performances in the World Cup, but Jadeja was below-par while Bravo was left out of the West Indian team for the event.
In the bowling department, Mohit Sharma, who also bowled well in the World Cup, will be Chennai's bowling spearhead while the other pace options include South African allrounder Kyle Abbott, New Zealand's Matt Henry as well as Indian bowlers like Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan.
Chennai also have a quality spin attack - R Ashwin will play the leader of the pack, which also has Jadeja, legspinners Samuel Badree and Rahul Sharma, and left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, who was the Man of the Match when CSK lifted the World T20 League title last year.
Probable XI: Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Mithun Manhas/Pawan Negi, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma
Delhi Daredevils
Ever since their table-topping performance in 2012, things have gone downhill for Delhi Daredevils. After finishing last in two successive years, an overhaul was in order as Delhi decided to release as many as 13 players, including big names such as Kevin Pietersen, Ross Taylor, Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay, ahead of the 2015 auction. After the bidding wars, they got hold of Yuvraj for a record sum of Rs 16 crore, and also bagged the services of experienced players like Zaheer, Mathews and Amit Mishra, along with a host of talented domestic and overseas names.
Skipper Duminy, along with Yuvraj, Mathews, Kedar Jadhav and Manoj Tiwary form the nucleus of a solid middle order. However, Mathews won't be available for the first game because of a ban on Sri Lankan players by the Tamil Nadu government. Delhi are likely to go in with Quinton de Kock as the opener, while one of Saurabh Tiwary, CM Gautam or Mayank Agarwal is likely to partner him. Shreyas Iyer, who had a terrific Ranji season and also impressed in Delhi's practice matches, is in the reckoning as well.
Daredevils' bowling department is their strong suit with the presence of Mohammed Shami and Nathan Coulter-Nile, along with experienced spinners in Mishra and Imran Tahir. Shami, though, is doubtful for the opening game as he is nursing a knee problem. Zaheer, who will also play the role of a bowling mentor, may not be drafted in straight away as he is not fully fit. With two key Indians bowlers likely to miss the opening game, Domnic Joseph or Jaydev Unadkat might get an opportunity.
Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Saurabh Tiwary, Shreyas Iyer, Yuvraj Singh, JP Duminy, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Amit Mishra, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Domnic Joseph, Imran Tahir
Numbers
10: The number of IPL matches CSK have won against Delhi Daredevils till date. Chennai have ended up on the losing side four times against Delhi.
325: The number of runs Suresh Raina has scored in the IPL so far. He is the only player to aggregate in excess of 3000 runs.
Quotes:
'We have a trend reviving older players. Nehra still has some life left. People focus on youth. But I like experience. Nehra and Hussey are key components in our side. The knowledge they can pass on is immense. The MS Dhoni and Raina factor will be crucial. I like their work and attitude.' - CSK coach Stephen Fleming is optimistic about his senior players.
'I am excited by the calibre of players we have season. A lot of teams are quite settled and structured. But it is exciting to think that new team can bring in new energy' - JP Duminy expects DD to be a force to reckon with.
Teams:

Delhi Daredevils (From): Quinton de Kock(w), Shreyas Iyer, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Jean-Paul Duminy(c), Angelo Mathews, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Saurabh Tiwary, Jayant Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Gurinder Sandhu, Chidhambaram Gautam, Travis Head, Srikar Bharat, Albie Morkel, Marcus Stoinis, Domnic Joseph, KK Jiyas
Chennai Super Kings (From): Brendon McCullum, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(c/w), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Mithun Manhas, Baba Aparajith, Dwayne Smith, Matt Henry, Pawan Negi, Samuel Badree, Ronit More, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Ankush Bains, Pratyush Singh, Eklavya Dwivedi

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IPL 8 LIVE

For the second season running, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians kick off the Indian T20 League. The stage for last year's encounter was Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium where MI fell 41 runs short of KKR's 163 for 5. MI should be aware how important opening encounters are. Following the thrashing at the hands of KKR, they went on to lose four more matches in a row and though they came back brilliantly by winning seven of their last nine matches to make it to the play-offs, a bad start meant they were never considered a threatening opposition. KKR also had their share of ups and downs but peaked at the right time and lifted the trophy for the second time. As to the match tomorrow, MI will have to play their A game if they are to break KKR's nine-game winning streak. Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata Date: April 8, 2015 Time: 20:00 IST Weather: The weather has been forecast to be partly cloudy with the temperatures hovering between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius. Team News Kolkata Knight Riders The defending champions have no reasons to tamper with the combination that won them the final against Kings XI Punjab last year. KKR would have breathed a big sigh of relief after Sunil Narine was cleared to play the T20 League following a successful retest on his bowling action in Chennai. Gautam Gambhir is one of the few captains this season to have no selection headaches. Probable XI: 1. Robin Uthappa (wicketkeeper), 2. Gautam Gambhir (captain), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Yusuf Pathan, 5. Shakib Al Hasan, 6. Ryan ten Doeschate, 7. Suryakumar Yadav, 8. Piyush Chawla, 9. Sunil Narine, 10. Morne Morkel, 11. Umesh Yadav Mumbai Indians Opening was a big problem for MI last year. They began with the combination of Michael Hussey and Aditya Tare and after it didn't work, Rohit Sharma joined Tare for a few games. Ben Dunk and CM Gautam were also tried but to no avail. Only towards the end, they managed to find a reliable pair in Lendl Simmons, a late replacement for allrounder Jalaj Saxena, and Hussey. However, when MI let Hussey go to Chennai Super Kings and went for Aaron Finch at the auctions earlier this year, it was clear they were trying to bring in more stability. With Finch and Simmons more or less certain to open, Mumbai will have two players to pick from the quartet of Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Corey Anderson and Josh Hazlewood - all very important players. Vinay Kumar, who was part of KKR's winning team last season, should make his MI debut - besides Unmukt Chand - in light of his familiarity with the Eden pitch and an excellent domestic season where he led Karnataka to their second successive Ranji Trophy win. Probable XI: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Aaron Finch, 3. Unmukt Chand, 4. Rohit Sharma (captain), 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Ambati Rayudu, 7. Aditya Tare (wicketkeeper), 8. Harbhajan Singh, 9. Lasith Malinga, 10. Vinay Kumar 11. Pragyan Ojha Quotes: That needs to be figured out. I am going to sit down and see what the best combination is. Whatever I am going to do, I am going to do in the team's interest. I am going to try and do whatever suits the team. But definitely, I have been opening for the past two years, I would like to continue. We will see. Once we go to Kolkata and see the wicket, we will decide:Rohit Sharma when asked whether he will open He's an integral part of KKR, he will always be an integral part... Even if he bowls a straight ball, he will be an asset for us and will always remain an asset. That's the confidence we have on Sunil. We never thought that we needed a back-up spinner for him.There can never be a backup for Sunil: Gautam Gambhir stressing Sunil Narine's importance Teams: Mumbai Indians (From): Aaron Finch, Aditya Tare(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Corey Anderson, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Shreyas Gopal, Harbhajan Singh, Vinay Kumar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Pragyan Ojha, Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, Parthiv Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Marchant de Lange, Pawan Suyal, Mitchell McClenaghan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Aiden Blizzard, Akshay Wakhare, Nitish Rana, Siddhesh Lad, Hardik Pandya, Jagadeesha Suchith Kolkata Knight Riders (From): Gautam Gambhir(c), Robin Uthappa(w), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Johan Botha, Azhar Mahmood, Brad Hogg, Sumit Narwal, Sheldon Jackson, Aditya Garhwal, Kishan Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Veer Pratap Singh

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MUMBAI INDIANS VS KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS LIVE

Big PictureBig Picture
Defending champions v former champions makes for good billing. Being the season opener entices its share of audience. A dash of chequered recent history and both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians have points to prove.
A 14-match winning streak for Gautam Gambhir's men screeched to a halt in the Champions League T20 final. Sunil Narine's absence - he was suspended for an illegal action - coloured an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings. There had been doubts over his participation as late as last Sunday, but the BCCI sub-committee for suspect actions is satisfied with the changes. "It has never been our strategy to have a back-up for Sunil, because there can't be a back-up for him," Gambhir said.
Now though they don't have to worry about plan B. They have most of their A-team to call on, barring the injuries to James Neesham and Chris Lynn. Robin Uthappa was the top-scorer in the Ranji season. Morne Morkel was one of the bowlers of the tournament at the World Cup. Ryan ten Doeschate and Andre Russell have excellent pedigree as T20 finishers. They retain Shakib Al Hasan's services for the first couple of matches. Options aplenty.
Options that should worry Mumbai. Last we saw them, they became the first IPL team to fail the qualifying round into the Champions League T20. But there were extenuating circumstances: Rohit Sharma, their captain, was injured and left their team combination a mess. His presence at the helm, along with Ricky Ponting as coach, and the Lasith Malinga-led bowling raises expectation. Kieron Pollard will have his own spotlight, as well. Since his time away from the West Indies team, he's written two columns for Al Jazeera and played only twice as many games of competitive cricket. Not the best ratio for an active cricketer. So the biggest question Mumbai will face is if the various cogs fit together smoothly.
Form guide
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians LWLLW
Watch out for…
Since the acquisition of Sunil Narine, the Knight Riders' spinners boast the best average (20.86), economy rate (6.5) and strike-rate (19.2) in the IPL. A T20 captain's dream, they rip through the overs, leaving batsmen in a daze and the scoreboard stagnant. A "fresh pitch," according to Gambhir and evening rains in the lead-up to the opening match can limit the amount of purchase available.
So how can Mumbai combat the spin strangle? That vast thinktank would look to Rohit Sharma to provide an answer. He is arguably their most versatile player and his ability to soak pressure and beat it was on show when he struck a century against Bangladesh in the World Cup quarter-final. He does it with greater frequency in IPL as he showed in the 2013 season when he took over captaincy and won Mumbai their only IPL title.
Stats and trivia
Mumbai have won 10 out of 14 matches between the two sides so far. Although Knight Riders have come out top in their last two encounters.
Knight Riders have never held the purple cap, although they do have a player in the squad who had won it for a different team - Morne Morkel for Delhi Daredevils in 2012 Quotes
"I have always maintained that even if he [Sunil Narine] bowls a straight ball, it is always going to be an advantage - that's the kind of aura and that's the kind of threat he has had on the opposition throughout the last three years"
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir on his primary match-winner
"We have had very good memories of Kolkata. We won the championship there. We understand the conditions there very well. Am sure the guys can exploit the conditions well." Captain Rohit Sharma on Mumbai Indians starting their campaign in Kolkata Defending champions v former champions makes for good billing. Being the season opener entices its share of audience. A dash of chequered recent history and both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians have points to prove.
A 14-match winning streak for Gautam Gambhir's men screeched to a halt in the Champions League T20 final. Sunil Narine's absence - he was suspended for an illegal action - coloured an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings. There had been doubts over his participation as late as last Sunday, but the BCCI sub-committee for suspect actions is satisfied with the changes. "It has never been our strategy to have a back-up for Sunil, because there can't be a back-up for him," Gambhir said.
Now though they don't have to worry about plan B. They have most of their A-team to call on, barring the injuries to James Neesham and Chris Lynn. Robin Uthappa was the top-scorer in the Ranji season. Morne Morkel was one of the bowlers of the tournament at the World Cup. Ryan ten Doeschate and Andre Russell have excellent pedigree as T20 finishers. They retain Shakib Al Hasan's services for the first couple of matches. Options aplenty.
Options that should worry Mumbai. Last we saw them, they became the first IPL team to fail the qualifying round into the Champions League T20. But there were extenuating circumstances: Rohit Sharma, their captain, was injured and left their team combination a mess. His presence at the helm, along with Ricky Ponting as coach, and the Lasith Malinga-led bowling raises expectation. Kieron Pollard will have his own spotlight, as well. Since his time away from the West Indies team, he's written two columns for Al Jazeera and played only twice as many games of competitive cricket. Not the best ratio for an active cricketer. So the biggest question Mumbai will face is if the various cogs fit together smoothly.
Form guide
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians

Watch out for… Since the acquisition of Sunil Narine, the Knight Riders' spinners boast the best average (20.86), economy rate (6.5) and strike-rate (19.2) in the IPL. A T20 captain's dream, they rip through the overs, leaving batsmen in a daze and the scoreboard stagnant. A "fresh pitch," according to Gambhir and evening rains in the lead-up to the opening match can limit the amount of purchase available.
So how can Mumbai combat the spin strangle? That vast thinktank would look to Rohit Sharma to provide an answer. He is arguably their most versatile player and his ability to soak pressure and beat it was on show when he struck a century against Bangladesh in the World Cup quarter-final. He does it with greater frequency in IPL as he showed in the 2013 season when he took over captaincy and won Mumbai their only IPL title.
Stats and trivia
Mumbai have won 10 out of 14 matches between the two sides so far. Although Knight Riders have come out top in their last two encounters. Knight Riders have never held the purple cap, although they do have a player in the squad who had won it for a different team - Morne Morkel for Delhi Daredevils in 2012 Quotes
"I have always maintained that even if he [Sunil Narine] bowls a straight ball, it is always going to be an advantage - that's the kind of aura and that's the kind of threat he has had on the opposition throughout the last three years" Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir on his primary match-winner
"We have had very good memories of Kolkata. We won the championship there. We understand the conditions there very well. Am sure the guys can exploit the conditions well." Captain Rohit Sharma on Mumbai Indians starting their campaign in Kolkata live links:link 1 link 2

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