KOLKATA VS. MUMBAI: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 5 | 3 CONTESTS THAT CAN DECIDE THE OUTCOME OF THE MATCH
Kolkata will take on Mumbai in the fifth match of the Indian T20 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. Mumbai lost to Bangalore in the opening match of the tournament by 2 wickets, whereas Kolkata put up a clinical performance to overcome the challenge from Hyderabad by 10 runs in their first game.
As these two teams prepare to face each other in the next game, let’s look at the 3 player battles that can be crucial in terms of the final result of the game :
- Rohit Sharma vs Prasidh Krishna
Rohit Sharma looked good against RCB before getting run out in a horrible mix-up with Chris Lynn. He made just 19 runs off 15 balls and will be keen to make amends in this game. Rohit has a phenomenal record against Kolkata, scoring 823 runs in 21 matches, including his only century in the league. So a big Hitman-like innings can be expected from him.
On the other hand, Kolkata will hope that the sensational knock-in-waiting doesn’t come against them. Their best bet will be the ever-improving Prasidh Krishna at the start of the innings. He was impressive against Hyderabad in the first game, dismissing David Warner with a fiery delivery and fooling Mohammad Nabi with a slower one. Can he send home the Mumbai skipper back to the pavilion early here?
- Nitish Rana vs Trent Boult
Nitish Rana played a sensational knock in the last match against Hyderabad. He took on the bowling from the very start, making 80 runs from 56 balls with the help of 9 fours and 4 sixes. He attacked both the pacers and the spinners and kept finding the big hits consistently. The left-hander will be high on confidence going into the match against his old team.
Rana will come up against Trent Boult at the top of the order. The Mumbai pacer had a decent first game, with figures of 1 for 36 in his 4 overs. However, he could not make an impression on AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell, who scored freely off him. Boult is a new ball bowler and took 16 wickets in the power play in the last edition. A confident Rana against a dangerous Boult will be a battle to look out for.
- Andre Russell vs Jasprit Bumrah
Muscle Russell vs. Yorker King. This will be one of the top player battles when Kolkata take on Mumbai on Tuesday. Russell was dismissed for just 5 runs while trying to hit Rashid out of the park. He has a devastating strike rate of over 180 in the league and can take apart bowling attacks in a matter of overs. Moreover, he has a good record at the Chidambaram Stadium, scoring 2 half centuries previously at this ground.
Bumrah was brilliant in the last game, taking 2 for 26 in his four overs. His spell kept Mumbai in the game till the end. For the last few games between the two sides, Bumrah has kept the Russell threat under control. In 34 balls, he has given 44 runs and dismissed him 3 times. Come the final overs, expect these two to come head to head and try to outsmart each other.
Howzat is hosting all the matches from the Indian T20 League. You can get access to match predictions and the latest news on the Howzat blog. Download the app now, make your fantasy league team & start winning every day!
