NEW DELHI: They might be the most successful team in the history of the IPL, but the Mumbai Indians are a beleaguered outfit right now, with two straight losses in their first two matches of the season.
Mumbai traditionally of course are slow starters, but they will be itching to start the trend of turning things around sooner rather than later.
Rohit Sharma and his men take on a buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune this evening.
The five-time IPL champions lost their first match against Delhi Capitals by four wickets and then against a resurgent Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs.

On the other hand, KKR, the two-time title holders (2012 and 2014), are second on the points tally currently with two wins in 3 matches. They in fact almost successfully defended 128 vs RCB in their second match, which they eventually lost.

While MI traditionally have a far superior win-loss record against the Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR will be fancying their chances against MI tonight going by the confidence they have under their belt currently, under new captain Shreyas Iyer.
Here’s a quick look at the overall Head to Head statistics of the two teams in the IPL:
HEAD-TO-HEAD (OVERALL):
Mumbai Indians and KKR have locked horns 29 times since the inception of IPL in 2008. MI have won 22 times against KKR, while KKR have managed to snatch wins on seven occasions.

MI vs KKR:
Total IPL matches: 29
Won by MI: 22
Won by KKR: 7
WIN PERCENTAGE FOR MI: 75.86

THE RUN MACHINES:
Mumbai Indians:
India and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is the highest run-getter overall for MI. In 215 matches, Rohit has scored 5662 runs at an average of 31.11, including 1 century and 40 fifties. Rohit, who was part of the Deccan Chargers (now defunct) from 2008 to 2010, joined Mumbai Indians in 2011 and since then he has been an integral part of the franchise. He has played 170 matches for MI and scored 4492 runs at an average 31.19, including 1 century and 32 fifties. Mumbai Indians have won all their five titles (most by any team in IPL history) under Rohit’s leadership.

Top 5 highest run-getters for MI:

Kolkata Knight Riders:
For KKR, Gautam Gambhir is the highest run-getter overall for the two-time champions. Gambhir, who played 139 IPL matches in his career, featured in 108 matches for KKR and scored 3035 runs at an average of 31.61, including 27 fifties. Gambhir, who was part of Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) between 2008 and 2010, joined KKR in 2011 and stayed with the team till 2017 before joining the Delhi team once again in 2018. Under Gambhir’s captaincy, KKR won their maiden IPL title in 2012 and went on to win the 2014 edition too. Gambhir is currently a team mentor for the Lucknow franchise.

Top 5 highest run-getters for KKR:

MEN WITH THE MOST WICKETS:
Mumbai Indians:
Sri Lanka’s speed-gun Lasith Malinga was a vital cog for Mumbai Indians from 2008 to 2019. In his 12-year stay at MI, Malinga led the team’s pace attack from the front. He played 122 IPL matches for MI and claimed 170 wickets, including 1 five-wicket and 6 four-wicket hauls. He is the leading wicket taker for MI overall in the IPL. Malinga is currently the fast bowling coach of the Rajasthan Royals team.
Top 5 highest wicket-takers for MI:

Kolkata Knight Riders:
Sunil Narine joined KKR in 2012 and has been a regular feature for the Knights since then. He has played 137 matches for the two-time champions and claimed 145 wickets in his tenure so far. The mystery spinner has 1 five-wicket and 7 four-wicket hauls under his belt. He is the overall highest wicket taker for KKR in the IPL. Narine is still an essential cog in the KKR wheel.
Top 5 highest wicket-takers for KKR: