KKR v MI Star Wars: Gautam Gambhir v Rohit Sharma

Gambhir not as an opener is Gambhir out of his comfort zone. When he has not opened the batting this season, he has scored only 22 runs in 34 balls.

Ever since his match-winning 71 against Delhi Daredevils, the flow of runs from Gautam Gambhir’s willow has ebbed. The orange cap, he once possessed for long, is placed firmly on David Warner’s head. Gambhir, in the last two games, gave up his opening spot to Sunil Narine, whose combination with Chris Lynn blasted off the Knight Riders.

But Gambhir not as an opener is Gambhir out of his comfort zone. When he has not opened the batting this season, he has scored only 22 runs in 34 balls. The match against Mumbai Indians, Knight Riders has to win to qualify for the play-offs. And, the captain will want to snap his string of low scores to guide his team to a win.

Meanwhile, Gambhir’s compatriot, Rohit Sharma has no qualification pressure. But like KKR, this will be his team’s last league game as well. Finishing first in the table is advantageous — for it will ensure that the team will have a second chance in the playoffs in case it loses the first match. And, Rohit, with three fifties in the last six innings, will want to get his team to the top spot.