Mumbai Vs Kolkata eliminator; battle of nerves (Preview)

The last time these two sides met on Sunday, it was cracker-jack of a contest. Kolkata after having dominated the proceedings for most part of the match threw it away courtesy a wayward last over by Laxmipathy Balaji. The fact that Mumbai pulled-off an unlikely victory would have dented the morale of Gambhir-led team. Three days later, the two teams once again lock horns in a knock-out match, fittingly dubbed as ‘eliminator’ tie of play-off stage.

Without a doubt, Kolkata would be fretting over that loss, a win would have taken them to the second position on the points table and provided them a massive advantage in the play-offs. First, they wouldn’t be playing this cruel eliminator and then there is the case of an assured Champions League spot. However, all that is now history and what matters is how they perform tomorrow. Interestingly, Mumbai did not gain a lot from that victory except that they are playing the same opposition at home in the do-or-die match, which is a big psychological advantage. The boisterous Mumbai crowd would be the twelfth man for Sachin and co.

Both teams have everything to play far, the winner has one more hurdle to cross before the title clash while as, the loser goes home like the other six franchises that failed to qualify for the play-offs. On paper, Mumbai and Kolkata are very strong teams. Mumbai have quality batters like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and the heroes of last match Ambati Rayudu and James Franklin. Kolkata have equally formidable line-up consisting of Jacque Kallis, Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwary and explosive Yusuf Pathan. As far as bowling goes, Mumbai have a slight edge with Malinga and Harbhajan. For Kolkata, Brett Lee has led the attack well with young Iqbal Abdulla playing a vital role in the middle overs. However, Balaji would do well to retain his spot in the playing eleven. Fielding should not be an area of concern as the teams are good in the field, but pressure can get to anybody, the young Indian players without big-match experience are particularly vulnerable.

All said and done, pressure games like this are decided by the overall mental strength of a side. Whosoever is able to hold his nerve like Franklin and Rayudu did at Eden would most likely play the next qualifier.

MUMBAI

Players who can make impact

Sachin Tendulkar…A champion batter is always a good batsman irrespective of format he is playing. Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar is proving that. Format doesn’t matter to him as he plays every match with same intensity hitting off target bowlers. One thing that takes shine away from his glittering IPL-4 record is his low strike rate (109.4). Nevertheless, the little master can reclaim the orange cap with a big knock.

Lasith Malinga…His 27 wicket haul in this year’s tournament is a record, the highest ever in a single IPL. He is a crowd favorite at the Wankhede and once his Yorkers find their mark, the ‘Purple-Hat’ holder relishes the frenzied celebrations by the multitude of people present in the ground.

SQUAD

Abu Nechim , Aditya Tare (wk), Aiden Blizzard, Ali Murtaza, Ambati Rayudu, Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs, Dhawal Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Moises Henriques, Munaf Patel, Pawan Suyal, Rajagopal Sathish, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar (c), Santosh Yadav, Sarul Kanwar, Tirumalsetti Suman, Yuzvendra Chahal

KOLKATA

Players who can make impact

Gautam Gambhir…There is no doubt over his abilities with the bat. A genuine match-winner with a strong-will is an asset to the team. His batting would be crucial for Kolkata’s chances of overcoming a strong Mumbai attack. Moreover, as an energetic leader, he has led the team well.

Jacques Kallis…He is as solid as a rock at the top of the order, playing the role of a sheet-anchor with perfection. Kolkata have followed a simple plan, Kallis drops anchor and rotates the strike while the hitters in the team play around him. He himself is no mug when it comes to fireworks.

SQUAD

Brett Lee, Gautam Gambhir(c), Iqbal Abdulla, Jacques Kallis, Jaidev Unadkat, James Pattinson, Laxmipathy Balaji, Laxmi Shukla, Mark Boucher (wk), Manoj Tiwary, Manvinder Bisla, Pradeep Sangwan, Rajat Bhatia, Ryan ten Doeschate, Saqibul Hassan, Sarabjit Ladda, Shami Ahmed, Shreevats Goswami (wk),Yusuf Pathan.