Kolkata were behind the eight-ball in the run-chase against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday in the Indian T20 League and a lot of it had to do with how they stacked up the batting order. With the kind of hitting strength they have in the line-up, Kolkata were surprisingly under par in the run-chase, but there are legitimate reasons why they were so. 

First up, Kolkata should not open with Sunil Narine in matches against teams that have strong pace attacks with hit-the-deck bowlers. Nikhil Naik's selection, in this respect, was bizarre considering they had the option to open with Rahul Tripathi alongside Shubman Gill. 

Dinesh Karthik walking in at No. 3 was another error in judgement. While maintaining a left-right combination in the middle is vital against spinners in T20s, it isn't as crucial as it is made out to be against pace. It isn't like in Test cricket where bowlers are looking to stick to a rigid line that they should struggle to adjust when bowling to a different handed batsman. 

Karthik's entry pegged Kolkata back even though you could argue he struck at a reasonable rate of 130.43. In the Powerplays in the Indian T20 League before today, Karthik averages 40+ but strikes at just over six runs per over. A gun death overs batsman, Karthik should have come out only later in the innings. 

The Karthik - Rana partnership in itself was detrimental for Kolkata as it delayed the entry of Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell. When Karthik fell immediately after the 10th over and Russell walked in, Kolkata needed 125 in 59 balls. Morgan came in even later.

High-end T20 run-chases are often won and lost in the first half of the run-chase. By the end of the Powerplays, Kolkata were already fighting heavy odds in sneaking in a win. They needed 163 runs to win after the Powerplay overs when in the entire history of the Indian T20 League, only twice have teams scored more to win in the last 14 overs.

To compound it, Kolkata had the best T20 batsman, arguably, alongside another gun T20 batter in Morgan waiting in the dugout. They also have Karthik. Their 49-run loss, even considering how well Mumbai's bowled, is unacceptable. 

They have the line-up to chase down most totals, so ensuring the right players are in at right times is crucial. Leaving it for too late has been Kolkata's major issue and more often than not they have turned to Russell to bail them out. If not for his consistency, Kolkata would be among the bottom two teams consistently. 

Having a fixed batting order would be a massive blunder for most teams and especially Kolkata. They should be prepared to use Narine in a different role with teams now having worked out on how to push his weakness. 

They should also be prepared to rotate between Tripathi, Nikhil Naik and Siddhesh Lad. Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan are best-deployed back-to-back but the entry point of each is crucial to how Kolkata fares this year. It's vital that they have Russell in before the game is completely out of hand. With Morgan and Karthik behind him, Russell can afford to play a blinder from the 8th or 9th over and should be tried earlier in the innings. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Indian T20 League

Rohit Sharma began his Indian T20 League 2020 campaign with a cracking cover drive off the very first ball he faced from Chennai's Deepak Chahar, and it fetched him four runs as well. Despite being away from cricket for around six months due to the global pandemic, Rohit didn't look rusty at all. It looked like he started right from where he left off.

Another attacking stroke off a wide delivery to the cover-point boundary in the very next over, bowled by Sam Curran, only summed up the kind of touch Rohit was in.

Runs	706
Balls	512
Average	30.69
Strike-rate	137.89

Table: Rohit Sharma vs Pace in the Indian T20 League since 2017

He is considered to be one of the best Indian players of pace bowling in the white-ball format and the numbers in the table above tell you why. An average of over 30 and a strike-rate close to 140 are excellent numbers for any Indian batsman against pace.

However, the same cannot be said about his approach against spinners. Even though he was looking so good while facing the Chennai pacers initially, he looked quite tentative when Piyush Chawla came on to bowl his leg-breaks in the fifth over of the innings. After defending the first ball he faced from Chawla, Rohit tried to loft the next delivery over mid-off but only ended up giving away an easy catch to Curran.

This has been his problem against spinners of late. He fails to read them properly and struggles with his timing against them too. In fact, he has always been a slow scorer against spin as compared to pace but his rate of dismissals against the latter has increased quite a lot of late.

Metrics	Till 2017	Since 2017
Runs	1435	330
Balls	1273	303
Average	46.29	16.83
Strike-rate	112.72	108.91

Table: Rohit Sharma vs spinners in the Indian T20 League

An average of less than 17 and a strike-rate under 110 against the spinners isn't something that can be imagined of an Indian player. But Rohit definitely has a weakness against them, as the numbers tell. The low strike-rate suggests that he doesn't attack spinners that much either and that's why his rate of dismissal against them becomes even more unacceptable.

In fact, if we look at his numbers against spinners in the Indian T20 League prior to 2017, we will find the same low strike-rate (112.72) against them. However, his average of 46.29 used to be so much better.

The Indian T20 League is being held in the UAE this time and a couple of matches played till now has already shown how the pitches are going to behave in the forthcoming matches. The tracks are already offering enough grip and turn to the spinners and it's only going to get more helpful for them as the tournament progresses further. So it's high time that Rohit found a way to sort his issues against spin. Even if he doesn't find a way to score quickly against them, he desperately needs to find a way to protect his wicket.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter /Mumbai

 

Rohit Sharma’s sensational knock coupled with an outstanding performance from Mumbai’s pace trio guided the reigning champions to a massive 49-run victory over the Kolkata.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

Kolkata’s bogey team

When Mumbai play the Kolkata, there’s usually just one result �?victory for the men in blue.

20 - 06

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020

Of the 26 times that the two teams have locked horns in the IPL, Mumbai have come out on top on 20 occasions with Kolkata winning just six. Their win percentage of 24 against Mumbai is their lowest against any team in the Indian T20 League.

Since Kolkata’s three-match win-streak over Mumbai, the four-time champions have won 10 out of the next 11 matches, and with this victory, they became the first team to record 20 wins over a team in the IPL.

Mumbai’s pacers maul Kolkata

After a rather rocky performance against the Chennai where he conceded 43 in four overs, Mumbai’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah came to the fore and dismantled the Kolkata, giving away just five runs in three overs and picked up the prized wicket of Andre Russell and Eoin Morgan, effectively ending the contest.

Back with a Boom

Live updates: http://t.co/GdxbVn8xav
Ball by ball: http://t.co/MEx2BDfoMO#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL #KKRvMI @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/1G1lou2iM5

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020

He did concede 27 in his final over that spoilt his figures, however, Mumbai’s overseas pace duo of Trent Boult and James Pattinson ensured that the big over from Bumrah was nothing but a consolation for Kolkata. The Kiwi-Kangaroo pair gave away just 55 runs in their eight overs while picking up a couple of wickets each in what was a brilliant outing for Mumbai’s pace trio.

The Russell conundrum

Andre Russell is, by a country mile, the best batsman in the Kolkata roster, which makes it baffling that the all-rounder bats at number six for the two-time champions.

In 14 matches last season, Russell batted just 249 balls, an average of just under 18 balls per match. While he’s a proven match-winner, the unfathomable pressure on having to bail Kolkata out seemingly every match is an unfair expectation to have from the all-rounder. Coach Brendon McCullum and the team's think-tank have to ensure that they do not fail to maximise Russell’s potential as a batsman.

Sharma’s sensational knock

After scoring just one fifty in his last six knocks, Rohit Sharma was due a big score and he delivered against his favourite opponents in the IPL, scoring a brilliant 80 off 54 balls to guide Mumbai to a massive and match-winning total of 196.

Hit-Man of the Match for his sublime 80 today #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL #KKRvMI @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/TGhAweFaRv

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020

Sharma smashed six sixes on route to his 80 and looked on course to score his first Indian T20 League ton since 2012, but the Indian opener couldn’t dispatch a full-toss and ended up hitting it straight to long on, ending his magnificent knock.

Rohit has now scored 904 runs against Kolkata, the most by any batsman against a single team in the Indian Premier League, surpassing David Warner’s mark of 829, also, against Kolkata.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com/Mumbai

Mumbai may not have gotten their season off to an ideal start after losing to Chennai but they surely made up for it with a dominating win over Kolkata in the sixth match of the Indian T20 League.

After being put to bat first by Kolkata, the Mumbai players didn't lose their nerve after an early dismissal of opener Quinton de Kock. Instead, led by Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav's 91-run partnership, Mumbai managed to put together a solid effort, both with the bat and the ball, to ensure a whopping 49-run win over Kolkata.

Kolkata's batting line-up, on the other hand, struggled to get going, with Pat Cummins' 12-ball 33, batting down the order, being the highest haul. Much was expected of hard-hitter Andre Russell but to no avail as he was clean-bowled with just 11 runs to show from 11 balls.

Here, we look at some of the key stats from the match:

A Mumbai Powerplay record, courtesy of 'SKY' and Rohit Sharma

After an abrupt and early exit from Mumbai's innings in their season-opener, Rohit Sharma returned to the form expected of him, with a stellar knock.

Following Quinton de Kock's early exit, Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav produced a fruitful 90-run partnership for the second wicket and bagged 59 runs during the Powerplay overs - Mumbai's highest-ever in the UAE.

MI's Powerplay score in U.A.E in Indian T20 League
Match	Runs	Wicket
Match 5, Kolkata vs Mumbai, 23 Sep 2020	59	1
Match 1, Mumbai vs.Chennai, 19 Sep 2020	51	2
Match 5, Bangalore vs. Mumbai, 19 Apr 2014	49	1
Match 16, Delhi Capitals vs. Mumbai, 27 Apr 2014	37	2
Match 1, Mumbai vs. Kolkata, 16 Apr 2014	32	1
Match 20, Mumbai vs. Hyderabad, 30 Apr 2014	32	3
Match 13, Chennai vs. Mumbai, 25 Apr 2014	31	2

While Yadav was sent packing at a personal score of 47 runs, it was enough to make him the seventh player to complete 1000 runs for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League.

Rohit Sharma ruffles the record book pages

Following Yadav's dismissal, Rohit went on to put together a 54-ball 80, including three boundaries and six maximums.

More importantly, the 'Hitman' reached the 200-six milestone in the Indian T20 League, leading to a flurry of reactions on social media. He became only the fourth player to do so after Chris Gayle (326), AB de Villiers (214) and MS Dhoni (212).

And while he was stopped short of a century on the night, Rohit Sharma did managed to bag his 37th fifty in the Indian T20 League.

Rohit also narrowly skimmed becoming the third player to complete 5000 Indian T20 League runs, coming up 10 runs short on this occasion but surely, it's just a matter of time.

Mavi's majestic bowling

While Kolkata may have perished in their chase of Mumbai, Shivam Mavi put together one of the best overs of the season so far earlier in the match. Called in to bowl ahead of Pat Cummins by skipper Dinesh Karthik, Mavi bowled a dot ball and then managed to catch de Kock off-guard, who sent the ball high into the air only for it end up in Nikhil Naik's lap. Mavi finished off his fine over with four more dot balls.

His pièce de résistance, however, came on the 18th over, when he bagged the scalp of none other than Rohit Sharma.

Mavi's effort netted him a career-record Best Bowling in Innings (BBI).

BBI for Shivam Mavi in Indian T20 League
Matches	Runs Conceded	Wickets	Balls
Match 5, Kolkata vs Mumbai, 23 Sep 2020	32	2	24
Match 13, Kolkata vs. Delhi Capitals, 16 Apr 2018	14	1	12
Qualifier 2, Hyderabad vs. Kolkata, 25 May 2018	33	1	24
Match 15, Rajasthan vs. Kolkata, 18 Apr 2018	40	1	24
Match 49, Kolkata vs. Rajasthan, 15 May 2018	44	1	24
Match 26, Delhi vs. Kolkata, 27 Apr 2018	58	1	24

Mumbai not 'deserted' any more

With their victory, Mumbai, who had never won in the UAE, finally flung the monkey off their back in style.

It was also their fourth-largest victory, in terms of runs, against Kolkata in the Indian T20 League.

Largest victory (runs) by Mumbai against Kolkata in Indian T20 League
Margin	Target	Ground	Match Date
102 runs	211	Kolkata	9-May-18
92 runs	188	Port Elizabeth	27-Apr-09
65 runs	171	Mumbai	7-May-13
49 runs	196	Abu Dhabi	23-Sep-20
27 runs	183	Kolkata	12-May-12

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com /Mumbai

Rohit Sharma of Mumbai has once again lived up to his 'Hitman' moniker in their Indian T20 League match against Kolkata.

While fellow opener Quinton de Kock fell early, Rohit calmly set about galvanising a fine 90-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, claiming his 37th fifty in the Indian T20 League.

Yadav, after accumulating 47 off 28, including six boundaries and a six, fell prey to a run-out by Kolkata's Sunil Narine. However, Rohit kept on trucking before eventually having to bow out with a 54-ball 80 for his efforts, including three fours and six maximums.

His achievement on the night led to a flurry of plaudits on social media, and we rounded up some of the best reactions: 

Truth!!! Even better to see it in Wankhede. @mipaltan @ImRo45 http://t.co/XlH9vrgzfu

�?Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) September 23, 2020

When he hits it, it stays hit!

Congratulations for 200 sixes in IPL @ImRo45!#KKRvMI

�?VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349) September 23, 2020

SIX-MACHINE! @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/1ogrFUkAR5

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 23, 2020

Rohit Sharma becomes second Indian & overall 4th batsman to hit 200 sixes in IPL.

Most sixes in IPL-

326- Chris Gayle
214- AB de Villiers
212- MS Dhoni
200- ROHIT SHARMA*#KKRvMI #IPL2020

�?Imran Hasan (@Imranhasan02) September 23, 2020

Only the 2nd Indian to hit 200 sixes in IPL! #Dream11IPL #KKRvMI #IPL2020 http://t.co/Mdf8XNal6J

�?Moulin (@Moulinparikh) September 23, 2020

200 sixes in @IPL for HITMAN. What a player. #KKRvMI #IPL2020

�?Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) September 23, 2020

Thank you for those pull shots Sharma ji ❤️ मज़ा �?गय�?@ImRo45 #KKRvMI

�?Manak Gupta (@manakgupta) September 23, 2020

Hitman in Kolkata & Hitman vs Kolkata = UNBEATABLE!

Superb Batting @ImRo45 #RohitSharma #MIvsKKR #Mi pic.twitter.com/jd1xR8YOlZ

�?Mangalam Maloo (@blitzkreigm) September 23, 2020

On fire @ImRo45 #KKRvMI #IPL2020

�?Aditi Singh Sharma (@ADTSinghSharma) September 23, 2020

Rohit Sharma, effortlessly pulling short balls for six since 2007...

�?Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) September 23, 2020

the best soundtrack in this game has come from rohit sharma's bat #MIvsKKR #IPL2020

�?Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) September 23, 2020

Very few batsmen pick up the length of the ball as quickly as #RohitSharma does

Quick swivel and it’s over the mid wicket boundary!

Joy to watch @ImRo45 @mipaltan#MIvsKKR

�?atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) September 23, 2020

Hitman in Kolkata & Hitman vs Kolkata = UNBEATABLE!

Superb Batting @ImRo45 #RohitSharma #MIvsKKR #Mi pic.twitter.com/jd1xR8YOlZ

�?Mangalam Maloo (@blitzkreigm) September 23, 2020

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com /Mumbai

Shubman Gill has batted at almost every position for Kolkata over the course of the last two Indian T20 League seasons. He is a natural top-order batsman but Kolkata have used his services even at No. 7 on multiple occasions during this period.

Batting out of position gets quite tough for players and more so for youngsters like Gill, as they have a lot to learn in terms of adapting to roles and situations. But Gill took to every responsibility that was entrusted upon him by Kolkata like fish to water.

In his first season with the Kolkata-based franchise, the youngster amassed 203 runs at an impressive average of 33.83 and equally good strike-rate of 146.04. These runs included a fifty as well and he performed so well despite getting hardly any chance to bat in the top-order.

But he was given more chances at the top in the last Indian T20 League season and Gill ended up making full use of it. He scored three fifties and amassed a total of 296 runs at an impressive average of 32.88 once again.

In Indian T20 League 2020, though, we can expect to see Gill batting in the top order for Kolkata throughout the season. The franchise already released two top-order batsmen -- Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa -- during the auctions last year and that has opened the spot up for Gill.

The 21-year-old will most probably open the innings along with Sunil Narine or will bat at No. 3, in case Kolkata decide to pair either of Tom Banton or Rahul Tripathi along with Narine at the top.

Either way, Gill is going to enjoy the entire season in the top half of the Kolkata lineup. He scored close to 300 runs in the last Indian T20 League season despite floating up and down the order consistently. A stable batting position this time will only give Gill the freedom to express himself completely.

Gill has played a total of 37 T20 matches in his career so far and has batted in 34 of them. Out of those 34 innings, he has opened the innings on 16 occasions and his numbers in those 16 outings -- 514 runs at an average and strike-rate of 39.54 and 140.05 respectively -- are excellent.

That sums up how good a top-order batsman he is. In a team full of power hitters like Kolkata, Gill's primary role would be to anchor the innings all the way along with maintaining a swift scoring rate. He has already shown in the last two Indian T20 League editions that he is perfectly capable of doing that and will be eager to prove his mettle this time in the challenging conditions of UAE.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com /Kolkata

Two-time Indian T20 League winners Kolkata will open their account on Wednesday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi record champions against Mumbai, who will be hoping to get their fortunes back on track.

While it is an opening game for Kolkata, Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai are coming on the back of a disappointing five-wicket defeat against Chennai in the tournament opener. 

Heading into the game, history favours the defending champions as they have won a whopping 19 of their previous 25 meetings against Kolkata, with the recent being a hefty nine-wicket triumph in 2019. 

Results from the bygone years hardly matter though. What matters is how the players have been performing recently, and judging by the look of things, Mumbai are set to have a hard time.

Bumrah’s form a serious concern

Paceman Jasprit Bumrah has set soaring bowling standards since making his debut in 2016. A reliable bowler both in the powerplay overs and at the death, Bumrah’s form has seen a sudden dip since recovering from a stress fracture in February this year. His white-ball figures (including T20 and ODI) since returning have been quite rusty, to say the least. In the 14 games he has played after coming back, he has carried an average of 153.88 and a strike-rate of 178.25; a figure no bowler would want to be associated with.

Bumrah	Matches	Overs	Average	Economy	Strike Rate
Before Injury	100	653.2	20.41	5.41	23.43
After Injury	14	41.05	153.88	5.74	178.25

A lapse in form was clearly visible in the opening game against Chennai where he conceded 43 runs and ended up being the most expensive bowler of the match. A further bifurcation shows that Mumbai have won just one of their nine games where the pacer has conceded 40 or more runs. Against Kolkata, in particular, Mumbai do have a thing or two to worry about as Bumrah averages 33.22 against them. He also carries an economy of 8.30 against his Wednesday’s opponent, which, in fact, is his highest against any team in the current Indian T20 League.

Can Cummins improve Kolkata’s bowling woes?

Kolkata decided to splash �?5.5 crore on Pat Cummins during the auction, and the while the fee totally sounds atrocious, there’s a reason why the franchise went big for the Australian. In the 2019 edition of the tournament, Kolkata’s pace contingent delivered the worst return by far. Their fast bowlers picked a mere 27 wickets during the tournament, which was the least by any team, and, in fact, seven less than the next placed Bangalore.

Furthermore, their average and strike-rate of 46.51 and 29.89 respectively were the worst amongst the other teams. Their bowlers bowled a mere total of 281 dot balls, which, as you expected, was least by any side last season. And so, spending fortune on Cummins now makes sense. The Australian not only brings a wealth of experience, but he also has a point to prove after a rather underwhelming series against England where he picked a solitary wicket in two matches at an economy of 8.

Players to watch:

Kolkata -  Andre Russell

All-rounder Andre Russell has been in fantastic form in the Indian T20 League, especially since 2018. And coming on the back of a successful Caribbean Premier League where he scored 222 runs at 44.40, which included 19 fours and 16 sixes, it is safe to say that keeping him in check will do half of Mumbai’s work on Wednesday. The all-rounder has delivered contrary performances with the ball and the bat in the Indian T20 League since 2018. Stats show that the West Indian is more effective in the opening 10 overs with the ball, but with the bat, his powers are unleashed in the final 10.

Andre Russell's bowling in Indian T20 League since 2018
0-10 Overs	Metrics	11-20 Overs
30	Mat	30
37.5	Overs	30.1
341	Runs	301
14	Wickets	10
24.36	Average	30.1
9.01	Economy	9.98
16.21	SR	18.1

His bowling strike-rate of 16.21 in the first 10 overs is, in fact, the second-best among the bowlers with 10+ overs bowled in Indian T20 League since 2018. As far as his batting his concerned, a strike rate of 203.47 in the final 10 over is once again the second-best among the batters who have batted for 60+ balls since 2018.

Mumbai - Rohit Sharma

After an underwhelming performance in the opening game, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma will be hoping to get back to his usual best against Kolkata, against whom he has a relatively better record. The Mumbai opener has scored 824 runs against Kolkata at an average of 45.77, his best return against any other Indian T20 League team. As things stand, he is just five runs short of overtaking David Warner to become the highest run-scorer against Kolkata in the Indian T20 League.

There are further milestones to reach as well; like he needs six sixes to complete 200 sixes in the Indian T20 League. He is 90 runs away from becoming only the 3rd player in Indian T20 League to score 5000 runs. Furthermore, he is yet to be dismissed by either Kuldeep Yadav and Andre Russell. But it is against Sunil Narine that he has struggled the most. The West Indies all-rounder has dismissed the Mumbai captain a whopping six times while conceding 122 runs in 110 balls across 16 innings.

Stats to watch out for:

1: Kolkata have won just one of their last 10 encounters against Mumbai in Indian T20 League.

2: With 83 catches currently, Rohit Sharma is two away from surpassing AB de Villiers and become the outfielder with second-most catches in Indian T20 League after Suresh Raina (102).

3: Pat Cummins is three wickets away from completing 100 wickets in T20s.

7: Kolkata have won all their last seven opening matches of the Indian T20 League, starting from 2013.

76: Mumbai have won 76 percent of their games against Kolkata in the Indian T20 League; the highest by any team against an opponent in the tournament.

Writer’s pick:

Kolkata made several changes in the squad during the auction, and it will be interesting to see how they approach the game on Wednesday. With England captain Eoin Morgan in the side, Kolkata are well and truly capable of wreaking havoc, and judging by Mumbai’s bowling struggle, expect the two-time Indian T20 League champions edge the title defenders on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

Think you know more? We have a fantasy game lined up for you.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe