Dubai: Will it be another heartbreak for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians or will they emerge stronger to avenge their last ball defeat in the last league match? Whoever loses today will have to painfully bow out of the tournament.
Kolkata and Mumbai have dished out dazzling cricket and deserved to be in the final. In fact, Mumbai was talked about as the top favourite to be the new champions till they crashed to a series of defeats.
Kolkata would have handed them their fourth straight defeat in the league match but for Ambati Rayudu's last ball six and James Franklin's four successive fours off Laxmipathy Balaji's last over.
Mumbai had got off to a great start in this IPL and at one stage many had said that they have the best combination among all the teams. They were also riding high with their skipper Sachin Tendulkar scoring heavily and their pacer Lasith Malinga in his best form. Like a Twenty20 match, suddenly they became an unpredictable team and started being bowled out for small scores.
Kolkata's biggest advantage is their in-form top order batsmen Jacques Kallis and Manoj Tiwary. Kallis has scored 417 runs while Tiwary has hit up 355 runs. Even their skipper Gautam Gambhir has led from the front with 374 runs. Their biggest disappointment is Yousuf Pathan but if he regains his form, he will be unstoppable.
Kolkata's bowler Brett Lee has not lived up to his reputation. However, their spinner Iqbal Abdullah has been their saving grace.
It is here that Mumbai has an edge because Malinga with 27 wickets and Munaf Patel with 17 wickets are among the best strike bowlers of the tournament. Though Harbhajan Singh has not displayed his class in this tournament, his poor form has not been felt.
Sell-out crowd
The sell-out crowd at the Wankhede stadium will be rooting for Mumbai and will look forward to another gem of an innings from Tendulkar. Unfortunately they do not have an able opener to back him.
It's time Andrew Symonds and Kieron Pollard live up to their high profile.
The clash will put to the test the captaincy of Gambhir, India's new captain for the tour of West Indies.
The Twenty20 format is such that the team which can hold their nerve and produce their best can win, irrespective of the calibre of their players.
Mumbai and Kolkata are evenly balanced but to win an eliminator requires an iron will.
Fixture
Eliminator: Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai (630pm UAE).
