Match 51 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 puts Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. KKR beat Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in their last outing and are currently second in the standings with 12 points from nine games after six wins and three losses. Hosts MI, on the other hand, find themselves in the ninth spot with six points after claiming three wins and suffering seven losses. Ahead of MI's clash with KKR in Mumbai, let's have a look at the predicted XIs of both sides for this fixture.
MI Predicted XI
Rohit Sharma
Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma has had a decent IPL 2024 season. The star opening batter has scored 315 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 158.29 this season. His form will be crucial for MI's bleak playoff chances this year.
Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)
Hard-hitting opener Ishan Kishan has struggled in the top order in IPL 2024 so far. Having scored 244 runs in 10 matches, Ishan has failed to find his rhythm with the bat but the southpaw was MI's second-highest run-scorer with 454 runs in 16 matches last year.
Suryakumar Yadav
MI's talisman, Suryakumar Yadav, has been on a bumpy ride this IPL season. The explosive batter has managed to score 176 runs in seven matches at an outstanding strike rate of 170.87. He will be gearing up to deliver against his former side KKR.
Tilak Varma
With 343 runs in 10 matches so far, Tilak Varma is currently the highest run-scorer for MI this season. The southpaw has been phenomenal this year with a batting averaging of 42.88 and a strike rate of 153.81.
Hardik Pandya (captain)
Mumbai Indians' new skipper Hardik Pandya has failed to convert his starts into big scores this year. The right-hander has scored only 197 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 150.38. He will be eager to have a bigger say in his team's upcoming games.
Tim David
Australia's explosive batter Tim David looked stuttering on the slow tracks at the start of IPL 2024. However, he has managed to score 217 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 168.22 this season and will look to go big against KKR at home.
Nehal Wadhera
Nehal Wadhera has smashed 99 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 147.76 in IPL 2024. The southpaw scored 46 against Lucknow Super Giants on a slow track in Lucknow and will be looking to build on his performances this season against KKR.
Mohammad Nabi
The Afghan all-rounder has been handy with both bat and ball this season. Nabi has scored 35 runs and has picked up two wickets in seven matches so far. His right-arm off-spin might prove to be effective against KKR openers.
Gerald Coetzee
The young and promising fast bowler from South Africa, Gerald Coetzee, has been a regular starter for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. Coetzee has taken 13 wickets in nine matches and will once again look to impress with ball in hand against KKR.
Piyush Chawla
Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has found it difficult to replicate his IPL 2023 success this year. The veteran spinner has picked only four wickets in seven matches so far but is capable of getting the better of any batting lineup on his day.
Jasprit Bumrah
MI pace bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has once again delivered the goods in IPL 2024. Apart from being economical, Bumrah has bagged 14 wickets in 10 matches this season and will be the biggest threat to KKR's batters.
Impact Sub
Nuwan Thushara/ Romario Shepherd
KKR Predicted XI
Phil Salt
Englishman Phil Salt has been in spectacular form for KKR this season and has provided them with blitzkrieg starts as an opener. A destructive batter, Salt has made 392 runs in nine IPL 2024 games with an average of 49 and a strike rate of 180.64.
Sunil Narine
After a few lean IPL seasons with the bat, Sunil Narine has looked in splendid touch as a batter. Averaging at 41.33, he has smashed 372 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 182.35 this year. He's also claimed 11 wickets in nine games and is one of KKR's go-to players this season.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Young Angkrish Raghuvanshi has looked good whenever he's been out in the middle. In five innings in IPL 2024, Angkrish has scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 161.64 and also has a fifty to his name. He will be eager to make an impact once again and is a player to keep an eye on.
Shreyas Iyer
KKR captain Shreyas Iyer has had a topsy-turvy season but remains a crucial player for the team in the middle order. Iyer has scored 251 runs in nine games at an average of 41.83 and will be raring to go at his home ground in Mumbai.
Venkatesh Iyer
Even though he's had limited time with the bat in the middle, Venkatesh Iyer has still managed to make a fifty this season. Capable of chipping in with the ball in hand as well, Venkatesh will be keen to have some sort of an impact with ball or bat against MI.
Andre Russell
A matchwinner with both bat and ball, Andre Russell has looked in great nick having led KKR to multiple wins already this season. He's scored 179 runs in six innings at an average of 44.75 and a sensational strike rate of 186.45. Russell has also taken nine wickets, making him one of KKR's most important players.
Rinku Singh
While Rinku Singh hasn't set this IPL season alight like he has done in the past, the hard-hitting left-hander has managed to produce a few impactful cameos for the team. He has made 123 runs at a strike rate of 150 and will have a role to play as a finisher against Mumbai.
Ramandeep Singh
All-rounder Ramandeep Singh has done well in his limited time at the crease. He's scored his runs at a strike rate of 184.09 and is capable of chipping in with the ball, making him important for the balance of the team.
Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc hasn't been at his best in IPL 2024 and has conceded quite a few runs in eight games so far. His seven wickets have come at a price but the fact that he's bowled in pressure circumstances like the powerplay and death overs cannot be overlooked. He will be hoping to perform to the best of his ability against MI.
Varun Chakravarthy
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been among the wickets in IPL 2024 having claimed 11 scalps so far. He's performed relatively well against MI in the past and will back himself to get the better of their batters come Friday.
Vaibhav Arora
Fast bowler Vaibhav Arora seems to be having a decent IPL season so far. The right-arm pacer has scalped nine wickets in five matches and will be hoping to be at his best against MI.
Impact Sub
Suyash Sharma