Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will resume their on-field rivalry when the two teams square off in Abu Dhabi from 7:30 IST. Playing the first game of the UAE leg, MI made the big call of resting skipper Rohit Sharma. At the toss, stand-in skipper Kieron Pollard made it clear that he was only leading the side for one game. Hence, Rohit looks set to make his comeback in the playing XI.
Apart from Rohit, Hardik Pandya also looks set to play the fixture. Both the players didn’t have any injury scare. As for KKR, there is no reason for Eoin Morgan to change the winning combination. The decision to open with debutant Venkatesh Iyer did wonders and he scored 41* off 27, adding 82 runs for the first wicket with Shubman Gill.
As the fans await Rohit’s return in the playing XI, the right-handed batter is eyeing one of the historic records in IPL’s history. With 982 runs, Rohit is just 18 runs away from becoming the only batsman to score 1000 runs against one franchise. Should he do so, he will become the first-ever batsman to achieve this huge milestone.
Rohit has 982 runs against KKR at 46.76. He has struck at 133.06 and has also scored a century against the two-time champions. Rohit has hit 96 fours against them and another 4 boundaries will see him adding another feather to his illustrious cap. David Warner, who has 915 runs, is the only other batsman with over 900 runs against KKR.
The last time two teams squared off in the league stage, in India, MI registered a 10-run win. Riding on Rohit’s 43 and Suryakumar Yadav’s 56, the five-time champions posted a defendable total of 152/10 on the board. Despite a 72-run opening partnership, KKR fell short by 10 runs. The match was played in Chennai.
