MI vs KKR, IPL 2024: IPL Records and Stats at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Mumbai Indians (MI) will be returning home to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai after four consecutive away matches when they will host the second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match no. 51 of IPL 2024. 

Mumbai Indians are currently on a three-match losing streak and precariously placed 9th on the points table with only net run rate separating them from a similarly precarious Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In their last match, they put up an abject batting performance with Tim David being the only one to contribute anything of substance in a very low total of 144. To their credit, MI managed to drag this game to the last over, but the total was almost never enough. 

Kolkata Knight Riders are having a season pretty much opposite to MI, even though the record for the highest successful chase in the IPL was broken twice this season against them, they have managed six wins from nine matches and sit second on the points table, having a better NRR than LSG. While MI are entering this match as a home game after four consecutive games on the road, KKR come into this away match after having played five matches at home in succession, having won three of them. Their last match was against Delhi Capitals, and after restricting them to just 153, Phil Salt made very easy work of the target. 

Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report:

The Wankhede Stadium has been expectedly flat this year and this game will be no different. The batters will make merry at the prospect of such a friendly surface and even be looking forward to batting on it. It wouldn't be out of the question to expect another high total in this match. 

IPL Stats and Records at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: 

52 matches, out of 113, have been won by the team batting second. No matches have finished without a result and the average first innings score is 170. 

MI vs KKR Strategies and Match-ups:

While the flat nature of this pitch might make one consider batting second to be the ideal option, but with the form MI's bowlers are in, KKR will probably think they have a genuine chance at breaking the 250, and possibly even the 260 barrier if they bat first. Both teams' best chance at winning this match will be based on them batting first especially because of how flat the surface is. The important match-ups for this game are: Sunil Narine vs Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah vs Phil Salt, Mitchell Starc vs Suryakumar Yadav, Vaibhav Arora vs Ishan Kishan, Piyush Chawla vs Sunil Narine.

Player Battles to Watch Out For:

Rohit Sharma vs Sunil Narine:

Rohit Sharma has scored 141 runs in 128 balls against the Trinidadian and has been dismissed seven times, which is the joint most times that a bowler has dismissed a batter in the IPL. These numbers translate to an average of 20.14 and strike rate of 110.15 for Sharma against Narine. 

Shreyas Iyer vs Jasprit Bumrah:

In 40 balls, Bumrah has managed to dismiss the KKR skipper only once. Iyer has scored 59 runs in this time, at an average of 59 and a strike rate of 147.5. This will bode well for Iyer who has been a little patchy this seaosn.

X-Factors for MI vs KKR

Mumbai Indians: 

The only thing going right and consistent for the near-bottom-placed MI this season has been the ace pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. On a surface as flat as the one that the Wankhede Stadium will be expected to provide, Bumrah will be not just MI's best, but possibly even their only bet at stopping KKR's batting 

Kolkata Knight Riders:

KKR's second-highest run-getter and joint-highest wicket-taker this season, Sunil Narine has been consistently performing with both bat and ball. His services in both departments will be crucial to KKR's chances, and bring more consistency to a season that has gone slightly off track in the last five matches.