In the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Mumbai Indians (MI) will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
While the defending champions are coming into this game after falling to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last match, the Kolkata based team hammered Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by nine wickets in their previous encounter.
At present, Mumbai are placed at the fourth spot in the IPL table with eight points and Kolkata are sitting in sixth place with just three wins from eight games.
The spectators can expect a cracker of a contest as both Mumbai and Kolkata will look to collect two very important points by winning this game.
And here we take a look at other factors that can alter the result of the match:
Pitch report:
In the early stage of the game, the pacers will be able to swing the ball while the spinners could come in handy in the middle-overs. The pitches in Sheikh Zayed Stadium are batting friendly and this game could be high scoring, especially considering the hard-hitting players in both teams. The openers will have to be cautious in the early stage of the match before changing their gears. Both Mumbai and Kolkata will look to field first as dew could play a role in the second innings of the match.
Weather:
According to the forecast, the temperature of Abu Dhabi on Thursday, September 23, is expected to hover around 33 degree Celsius. The temperature is expected to lower in the ongoing. There are no chances of rain, so, the fans can expect an uninterrupted affair.
T20 records at Abu Dhabi at this venue:
Total T20 games played: 54 (Batting first won 26 games, batting second won: 28 games)
Highest score at this venue: 247/2
Lowest score at the venue: 70/10
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