With cricket becoming more and more competitive every passing year, players hitting milestones, big or small, have become a cause for celebration.

Mohammed Shami recently celebrated one such milestone, becoming the fastest Indian bowler to take 150 wickets in ODI cricket during the first India vs England ODI at the Kennington Oval.

Shami took 80 matches to reach the mark, handily beating Ajit Agarkar’s previous record of 97 matches which stood strong since 2002.

The Indian pacer, however, isn’t the fastest bowler to 150 ODI wickets in international cricket. The record belongs to Australian speedster Mitchell Starc, who beat Shami to the 150-wicket milestone by three matches.

Here’s a list of bowlers, not just among the Men in Blue, who have raced to the 150-wicket milestone in record time.

Mitchell Starc - 77 matches

Mitchell Starc, one of Australia’s most effective and feared pacers, holds the record of being the fastest bowler to 150 wickets. The 6 foot 4 bowler touched the 150-wicket mark in the fifty over format of the game in just 77 matches. 

Starc brought up this milestone in June 2019 during the ICC World Cup in a match against the West Indies. He took five crucial wickets, including Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Craig Brathwaite, Jason Holder, and Sheldon Cottrell, and helped Australia to an impressive 15-run win in the match. 

Saqlain Mushtaq - 78 matches

Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq took just 78 matches to reach 150 ODI wickets, and held this record from 1998 to 2019 before Starc overtook him. 

Mushtaq breached the 150-wicket mark in the second final of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup between India, Bangladesh and Pakistan at Dhaka. The match was played against India, and Mushtaq finished with a haul of 3/36 in 9.5 overs. He retired with 288 ODI wickets to his kitty. 

Rashid Khan - 80 matches

Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan took 80 matches to claim 150 One Day International wickets. He touched this mark in February 2022 in a match against Bangladesh at Chattogram. 

Khan finished with impressive bowling figures of 10-0-37-3 in the game, claiming the wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali and Taskin Ahmed. 

Mohammed Shami - 80 matches

Mohammed Shami made his way into the list in July 2022 during the first of the three ODIs of a India vs England bilateral series played in the UK.

In the game at The Oval, Shami finished with figures of 7-0-31-3, claiming the wickets of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Craig Overton. India won the game by 10 wickets. With this, he became the fastest Indian to 150 ODI wickets.

The Indian, however, did take the most amount of time, in terms of number of years, to reach the milestone among the top five. Shami being in and out of the national team over the years due to various reasons is the underlying cause for the delay.  

Trent Boult - 81 matches

Kiwi pacer Trent Boult comes next on this list, taking 81 matches to notch up 150 ODI wickets. Like Starc, he too etched his name among the fastest to 150 ODI wickets during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. 

Boult finished with numbers 2/44 in a game where New Zealand registered a two-wicket win against Bangladesh at The Oval during the group stage. 

Quickest to 150 wickets in ODIs

Name	Country	No. of matches	Time (Years)
Mitchell Starc	Australia	77	8y 229d
Saqlain Mushtaq	Pakistan	78	2y 109d
Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	80	6y 133d
Mohammed Shami	India	80	9y 187d
Trent Boult	New Zealand	81	6y 329d

Author: Varsha Badrinath

Featured photo: AFP / SHAUN BOTTERILL

Rajasthan will cross swords with Bangalore in an enthralling Indian T20 League 2022 encounter at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, April 5.

Led by wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, Rajasthan have made an impressive start to their Indian T20 League campaign, winning both their matches against Hyderabad and Mumbai. The champions of the inaugural edition are currently leading the Indian T20 League 2022 standings with four points from two matches.

On the other hand, Bangalore defeated Kolkata in their previous match after losing to Punjab in their opening encounter. With two points from as many matches, Faf du Plessis�?Bangalore are currently placed seventh in the standings.

Rajasthan and Bangalore have met 24 times in the Indian T20 League, with the latter winning 12 matches while the former has secured 10 victories.

Rajasthan vs Bangalore key player battles

Trent Boult vs Faf du Plessis

While Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis has amassed over 3000 runs in the Indian T20 League, he has somewhat struggled against former Mumbai pacer Trent Bout. The New Zealand left-arm pacer has dismissed du Plessis three times in the Indian T20 League. 

The former South Africa captain has scored just 37 runs in eight innings against the Kiwi pacer in the Indian T20 League.  

Faf du Plessis record vs Trent Boult
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
8	37	43	3	86.04

Yuzvendra Chahal vs Dinesh Karthik

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has largely troubled wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik in the Indian T20 League, having dismissed the Indian veteran on three occasions. In the eight innings that he has faced against Chahal, Karthik has scored just 31 runs at a below-par strike rate of 86.11.

Dinesh Karthik record vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
8	31	36	3	86.11

Sanju Samson vs Mohammed Siraj

Bangalore fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has had an upper hand against Sanju Samson in the Indian T20 League. Siraj has dismissed the Rajasthan captain twice in the high-profile T20 league, conceding just 20 runs in three innings. While Sanju has impressive overall numbers against pacers, Siraj has troubled the hard-hitting batter so far.

Sanju Samson record vs Mohammed Siraj
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	SR
3	20	15	2	133.33

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Featured photo: Indian T20 League

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc holds the record for being the fastest to 150 ODI wickets having taken just 77 matches to do so. Starc achieved the feat in the 10th match of the 2019 World Cup against West Indies where he ended up taking five wickets in a 15-run win.

Since making his debut in 2010 against India, Starc has played 99 ODIs, taking 195 wickets at an average of 22.45. Interestingly, he is one of just 13 players in ODI cricket to have picked six wickets in an innings and still end up on the losing side. 

While Starc tops this list for fastest to 150 ODI wickets, Saqlain Mushtaq took just a little over two years to reach the landmark. In comparison, it took Starc a whopping 8 years and 229 days to reach the milestone. 

But since we are only considering the number of matches played, it is imperative to note that the Pakistan great played 78 ODIs to take 150 wickets in the 50-overs format.

The off-spinner, who mastered the doosra, played 169 ODIs during his career in the limited-overs format, picking 288 wickets in the process. Two years after making his debut in 1995, Mushtaq picked 69 ODI wickets in 1997, which remains the most wickets any bowler has picked in a calendar year in cricket.

The latest entrant in the list for fastest to 150 ODI wickets is Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who breached the milestone during his 80th match, which ended in a seven-wicket over Bangladesh.

Mushtaq and Rashid are the only spinners in the top five list as New Zealand’s Trent Boult (81 matches) and former Australia pacer Brett Lee (82 matches) round up the remaining spots.

Fastest bowlers to 150 ODI wickets

Player	Team	Matches	Time
Mitchell Starc	Australia	77	8y 229d
Saqlain Mushtaq	Pakistan	78	2y 109d
Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	80	6y 133d
Trent Boult	New Zealand	81	6y 329d
Brett Lee	Australia	82	4y 42d

Featured photo: AFP

Rohit Sharma’s Team Mumbai piled further misery on Team Hyderabad by successfully managing to defend a middling total of 150 runs, beating the one-time Indian T20 League champions by 13 runs at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, April 17.

It was the same old story for Hyderabad, who made a blistering start through David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, but as the duo was dismissed, the middle order crumbled from 90/2 to 137 all-out. The duo, in fact, scored more runs than all of their teammates combined.

Mumbai had earlier posted 150/5, riding on the back of a late blitz by Kieron Pollard. The hard-hitting West Indian had scored 35 off just 22 balls. He later went on to concede just 10 runs in two overs as Hyderabad lost their third Indian T20 League game on the trot.

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the key stats from the game;

Kieron Pollard completes 200 sixes for Mumbai

Kieron Pollard walked in to bat when Mumbai were reeling on 98/3 in 14 overs. His unbeaten 35 guided Mumbai to 150, with his knock including one four and three sixes. With that, Pollard became the first player to hit 200 sixes for Team Mumbai. Overall, he became only the sixth player to cross the 200-six mark in the league.

Most 6s for Mumbai in Indian T20 League
Player	6s
Kieron Pollard	201
Rohit Sharma	166
Hardik Pandya	93
Ambati Rayudu	79
Ishan Kishan	52

While Pollard took his time against Hyderabad spinners, he was at his vicious best against pacers, hitting them for 27 runs at a strike rate of 168.75. While Mumbai were losing wickets at will, Pollard continued to cause damage. A whopping 67.35% of Mumbai’s runs in the last five overs (33/49) came through his bat.

Hyderabad’s poor start

Team Hyderabad endured their worst start in their Indian T20 League history. The team is yet to win a single game in three outings. Furthermore, their form in Chennai is even more worsening. A defeat on Saturday was their sixth defeat at the venue. They are yet to register a win there. Hyderabad have several issues to take care of. Since 2020, the team has won just four of their 13 run chases in the league while losing nine.

Hyderabad's first three matches of Indian T20 League seasons
Year	Matches	Won	Loss	Tie - W	Tie - L	Win %
2013	3	1	1	1	0	66.67%
2014	3	1	2	0	0	33.33%
2015	3	1	2	0	0	33.33%
2016	3	1	2	0	0	33.33%
2017	3	2	1	0	0	66.67%
2018	3	3	0	0	0	100%
2019	3	2	1	0	0	66.67%
2020	3	1	2	0	0	33.33%
2021	3	0	3	0	0	0%

On the contrary, they have been rather successful in setting up a target since 2020. They have won four of the six matches where they have defended a target. Hyderabad’s efficiency in gathering runs in death overs was once against exposed against Mumbai. The team scored just 33 runs between 16-20 overs and lost five wickets. They had 54 dot balls against Mumbai which is equivalent to nine overs.

Boult and Chahar leading Mumbai’s charge

The likes of Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar led Mumbai’s bowling charge as both ended up with three wickets at their disposal. Chahar, in particular, skimmed through Hyderabad’s middle-order while Boult did the job at the tail-end. The leggie’s figure of 3/19 is now his second-best bowling spell in the Indian T20 League. He has now taken his wicket tally to seven wickets which the joint highest wickets in the league so far.

Trent Boult vs Hyderabad in Chennai
Overs	Runs	Balls	Wickets	Dots	4s	6s	Average	Economy	Balls/Bound
1-6	20	12	0	7	3	1	-	10.00	3
16-20	8	10	3	5	1	0	2.66	4.80	10

Chahar bowled as many as 13 dot balls against Hyderabad, which is his joint-most dot balls in a spell in the league. Boult, on the other hand, was taken to cleaners in the opener overs, but the New Zealand quick made a brilliant comeback later in the game. His 3/28 is his fourth-best spell in the league now. Between the powerplay overs, Boult went for 10 runs per over. The figure dropped significantly as he bowled at an economy of 4.80 during the death overs. 

Featured photo: Twitter / IPL

Team Mumbai’s Indian T20 League title defence has come back on track and they are eager to build on the run as they face off against Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

Both Mumbai and Hyderabad enter this game on the back of thrilling encounters against Kolkata and Bangalore, respectively, but it is Rohit Sharma and Co. who showcased a clear hunger to win.

The David Warner-led Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost their second game in succession where they opted to chase.

Mumbai vs Hyderabad full squads

Mumbai: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Charak, Arjun Tendulkar

Hyderabad: David Warner (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami (wicket-keeper), Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb ur Rahman

Mumbai vs Hyderabad probable XI

Despite a disappointing start to his 2021 campaign, Quinton de Kock is unlikely to be replaced in the playing XI. This effectively means that Rohit Sharma will field an unchanged team from the win against Kolkata.

Mumbai predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Hyderabad need to include Kane Williamson into the playing XI, as his batting strengths can provide the much-needed edge to win chases. The return of Jason Holder proved effective in the bowling department but otherwise, there was no significant impact with the bat.

Hyderabad predicted XI: David Warner (captain), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma

Mumbai vs Hyderabad head-to-head record in Indian T20 League

Mumbai and Hyderabad’s head-to-head record stands even. In recent matchups, Rohit Sharma’s men have won three of the last five including a Super Over victory in the 2019 edition.

Mumbai vs Hyderabad head-to-head record
Mumbai	Metrics	Hyderabad
16	Matches	16
8	Wins	8
50%	Win Percentage	50%

Apart from the head-to-head record, Mumbai also enjoy a comfortable record at the MA Chidambaram Stadium having won six of the 10 games they played. Hyderabad, on the flip side, have lost all five matches.

Mumbai vs Hyderabad: Match result prediction

Mumbai are well-equipped and predicted to win the game against Hyderabad on Saturday, with the stats and odds in direct favour of the two-time defending champions. However, Hyderabad can take inspiration from their last outing against Mumbai - a 10-wicket win - and produce a landmark upset.

Best performers in Mumbai vs Hyderabad

Top tip: Best batsmen

Quinton de Kock, who was dismissed cheaply in the game against Kolkata, will look to make amends with a splendid inning against Hyderabad. The Proteas wicket-keeper has amassed 331 runs in nine matches against Warner’s side, and he is tipped to score maximum runs for the defending champions in the tie.

Hyderabad will entrust skipper David Warner to go all guns blazing against Mumbai. The southpaw is the odds-on favourite batsman in the Mumbai vs Hyderabad fixture, given he is the leading run-getter with 625 runs at a strike rate of 141.4.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will spearhead the Hyderabad bowling order against Mumbai, and stats say that he has been their chief tormentor since 2017. With the champions struggling in the death overs this term, the Indian swing bowler is favoured to spell trouble for Rohit Sharma and Co., and add to his tally of 18 wickets.

For Mumbai, Trent Boult is tipped to be the game-changing bowler. The New Zealander has excelled for the five-time winners in the death overs, taking nine wickets in 110 balls, and shoulders the responsibility to exploit the weaknesses in Hyderabad’s batting order.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

Kieron Pollard is backed to be the top-performing all-rounder in the Mumbai vs Hyderabad game. As a batsman, the Trinidadian is the leading run-getter against David Warner and Co. with 383 runs at a staggering strike rate of 147.3.

Quinton de Kock is the wicket-keeper you should place your bet on for this tie. The South African has accounted for 43 dismissals in 33 matches, as opposed to Wriddhiman Saha’s 18 in 22 games.

Featured photo: Twitter / Mumbai Indians

Mumbai seal the deal

11:20 PM IST - A choke that will leave you asking questions! Kolkata required 31 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in hand but sensational spells from Trent Boult and Krunal Pandya in the death overs brought Mumbai back into the game. Effectively, the defending champions sealed the deal and continued their dominance over Eoin Morgan and Co.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (142/7, 20 overs)

Thunder boult strikes!

11:15 PM IST - Under pressure, Kolkata have seen Andre Russell and Pat Cummins dismissed in succession to bring the game back into Mumbai's favour. A turnaround that only a few expected.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (140/7, 19.4 overs)

Spinners the difference maker?

Love to see captains backing their spinners in death ❤️❤️

Then Nabi was backed by Warner at 18th in last KKR match
And now Krunal is backed by Rohit at 18th over #KKRvMI

�?Bharath Pandhiri (@BharathPandhiri) April 13, 2021

Tight Affair

11:00 PM IST - After enjoying a comfortable lead in the contest, Kolkata now seem struggling to a Mumbai bowling unit that has taken four wickets from overs 10 - 17.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (131/5, 17.0 overs)

Shakib gives away wicket cheaply

10:50 PM IST - Expected to make a difference, Shakib Al Hasan fell cheaply to a Krunal Pandya delivery, aimed fully on middle stump, which is directed towards Suryakumar Yadav at deep square.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (122/5, 15.2 overs)

Rana stumped out

10:45 PM IST - Nitish Rana's delightful innings was brought to a close as Quinton de Kock stumps him out from a Rahul Chahar delivery. While Chahar finishes with four wickets from his four overs, Rana walks back knowing he is currently the new owner of the Orange Cap.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (122/4, 15 overs)

Rohit Sharma survives injury scare

10:38 PM IST - Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma steps forwards to bowl, but his build-run leads to an alleged ankle injury. Affter observations by the medical team, he seems alright and is given the go-ahead to continue play.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (104/3, 13 overs)

Captain Morgan exits

10:33 PM IST - Kolkata captain Eoin Morgan's short spell at the crease comes to an end as he steps out to reach out for the slog, he sends the ball towards Marco Jansen. Rahul Chahar now has three wickets from his three overs.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (104/3, 12.5 overs)

Rana breezes past 50

10:30 PM IST - Nitish Rana registers his 13th fifty in the Indian T20 League, being the driving factor for Kolkata's batting once again.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (84/2, 10.3 overs)

Tripathi falls to the googly

10:20 PM IST - Rahul Chahar's perfectly googly delivery pushes Rahul Tripathi to play a defensive shot, but the ball slips through outside edge and wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock dismisses him.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (84/2, 10.3 overs)

Chahar makes breakthrough

10:12 PM IST - After smashing him off for a six, Shubman Gill went for a lofted drive from a Rahul Chahar delivery only to meet the hands of Kieron Pollard. A fine inning come to an end

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (72/1, 8.5 overs)

Strategic timeout

10:00 PM IST - With Nitish Rana opening, Kolkata have taken a strong stride towards a convincing victory over Mumbai. But no one can tell if there will be a late twist, something which Rohit Sharma and Co. are known to pull off at times.

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (50/0, 7 overs)

End of powerplay

9:55 PM IST - Kolkata's powerplay score reads 45 runs at a run rate of 7.50, marginally better than that of Mumbai. Can the Rana - Gill partnership take the side all the way?

Score - Mumbai (152, 20 overs), Kolkata (45/0, 6 overs)

How's the josh?

Been in the car since the past 14 hours and still 6 hours to go but this match is making all that fatigue and stress to go away #korbolorbojeetbo #KKRvMI #KKR #KKRHaiTaiyaar

�?Manyata�?(@srksfp) April 13, 2021

Kolkata begin chase with ease

9:38 PM IST - After three overs, Kolkata are now at 19/0 with Nitish Rana seemingly in a position to plot a comfortable score on the board. Can Mumbai make an early breakthrough?

Fans react to Mumbai's innings

MI in first 10 overs Vs MI in last 10 overs #KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/eRnf6cHYSd

�?Robisixtree (@RSixtree) April 13, 2021

#KKRvMI
Morgan to Andree Russel pic.twitter.com/wzWBSxkKB6

�?Prof cheems (@Prof_Cheems) April 13, 2021

MI batsmen donating 5-Fers #KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/fbDaJzF2vp

�?Naanu (@Tw33tShoot3r) April 13, 2021

@KKRiders absolutely nailed their matchups tonight - tied up Hardik with Cummins and Prasidh too but 5 overs of spin in the PP was incredible. SKY-Varun was a stalemate simply because we didn't get to see much of that

Bumrah will have a big role for #MI now #KKRvMI #IPL2021 http://t.co/qshMRIwsgY

�?Soorya Sesha (@sooryasesha7) April 13, 2021

Kolkata need 153 to win

9:20 PM IST - Wise captaincy from Eoin Morgan sees Kolkata inch closer to a much-important victory over Mumbai. 153 as a target seems winnable and dew could ease the chase for Morgan and Co. 

A fifer from two overs!

9:15 PM IST - Andre Russell showed that his bowling skills is as lethal as his batting, taking three wickets in the final over to complete his first five-wicket haul in the Indian T20 League.

His figures of 5/15 is best by any any bowler against Mumbai and also the best for a Kolkata bowler, ever.

Score - Mumbai (152/9, 20 overs)

Krunal gets Mumbai to 150.... and departs

9:10 PM IST - With Mumbai languishing at one of their worst totals, Krunal Pandya hits a nine-ball 15 to propel the five-time winners to 150. But a certain Andre Russell directs him to hit a shot a fine leg and get dismissed by Prasidh Krishna.

Score - Mumbai (150/8, 19.3 overs)

Russell wrecks into Mumbai batting

9:00 PM IST - Mumbai's situation worsens as Andre Russell dismisses Kieron Pollard and newcomer Marco Jansen in his first over of the game. His figures read 2/5.

Score - Mumbai (126/7, 17.3 overs)

Hardik........ falls

8:52 PM IST - Yet another slow delivery, without pace, to dismiss a Mumbai batsman. Prasidh Krishna ends Hardik Pandya's struggle by setting him to miscue his shot and find Andre Russell. The reigning champions now in trouble waters.

Score - Mumbai (123/4, 16.2 overs)

Cummins strikes down Rohit

8:45 PM IST - Pat Cummins is slowly proving his worth for Kolkata, dismissing the dangerman in Rohit Sharma with a slow off-cutter that manages to find the inside edge of the Mumbai captain and hit the stumps.

Score - Mumbai (115/4, 15.2 overs)

Strategic timeout

8:35 PM IST - Mumbai need some fireworks in the final six overs to finish the innings somewhere around 170. Skipper Rohit Sharma is almost touching 50 runs, but currently, he has already achieved one of the records mentioned earlier in our live blog.

Rohit has now 800 boundaries in T20 cricket. Way to go Hitman!

Score - Mumbai (106/3, 14.0 overs)

Ishan Kishan falls for 1

8:25 PM IST - Pat Cummins' first ball of his third over and an important wicket! A short delivery to incite Kishan to step forward and strike towards fine leg, where Prasidh Krishna was waiting for him. Mission successful!

Score - Mumbai (88/3, 11.1 overs)

Suryakumar brought to the ground 

8:20 PM IST - A sensational innings by Suryakumar Yadav comes to an end, as Shakib Al Hasan's delivery makes the batter miscue his attempted six to find the safe hands of Shubman Gill.

Score - Mumbai (86/1, 10.2 overs)

99 metres in the SKY

8:15 PM IST - Mumbai's Suryakumar Yadav reaches his 12th fifty in the Indian T20 League, courtesy of a maximum that scales 99 metres. The gamechanger

Score - Mumbai (79/1, 9.5 overs)

Strategic timeout

8:05 PM IST - Mumbai have finally gained momentum in this fixture, with Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav completing a 50-run partnership for the second wicket. Prior to the strategic timeout being called in, Prasidh Krishna was hammered for 16 runs by Yadav.

Score - Mumbai (64/1, 8 overs)

End of powerplay

7:55 PM IST - Strangely enough, Kolkata had their spinners bowl five overs in the powerplay with 42 runs and a wicket coming from it. What kind of plan has Eoin Morgan in mind to break the Rohit - Suryakumar partnership?

Score - Mumbai (42/1, 6 overs)

Harbhajan gets a taste of a SKY attack

7:45 PM IST - Harbhajan Singh leaks 14 runs in his second over, with Suryakumar Yadav smashing three boundaries on alternate deliveries. A solid return for Mumbai after losing their first wicket cheaply.

Score - Mumbai (24/1, 3 overs)

An early exit for De Kock

7:38 PM IST - A tossed-up delivery by Varun Chakravarthy forces Quinton de Kock to slice a shot high up in the air. But Rahul Tripathi runs forward to take a safe catch. An early breakthrough for Kolkata but a disappointing start to Indian T20 League 2021 for de Kock

Score - Mumbai (10/1, 2 overs)

First boundary for Mumbai

7:35 PM IST - Rohit Sharma pulls a shot above mid-wicket to hit the first boundary of the game, off the second delivery of Varun Chakravarty

Score - Mumbai (7/0, 1.2 overs)

Match Starts!

7:30 PM IST - Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock open the batting for Punjab! Harbhajan Singh opens the bowling for Kolkata and concedes just three runs.

Score - Mumbai (3/0, 1 overs)

Team Mumbai playing XI

Rohit Sharma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Marco Jansen, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Paltan, we'll be batting first tonight

Here's our Playing XI that will take centre stage against the Knight Riders!

Live Updates http://t.co/WYph7ed9wR#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #KKRvMI #IPL2021 @SamsungIndia pic.twitter.com/xoPQ6NQ8dE

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 13, 2021

Team Kolkata playing XI

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Shakib Al Hasan, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Harbhajan Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

NO CHANGES from our winning XI first time out �?/p>

Let's go, Knights! ⚔️#KKRvMI #KKRHaiTaiyaar #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/xaYBuCkhQk

�?KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 13, 2021

Kolkata win toss, to bowl first

7:00 PM IST - Kolkata win the toss and will bowl first. While Eoin Morgan doesn't make any changes to his playing XI, Mumbai bring in Quinton de Kock for Chris Lynn.

#KKR have won the toss and they will bowl first against #MumbaiIndians in Match 5 of #VIVOIPL.#KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/7plyJvbHdx

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2021

Shakib gets his 50th cap

A special moment for @Sah75official as he receives his 50th cap in #KKR colours from @Bazmccullum.

Go well, Shakib #VIVOIPL #KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/gP0sJCSrGr

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2021

Pitch report

6:50 PM IST - Former Chennai star Matthew Hayden provides the pitch report for Kolkata vs Mumbai. "It's a dry surface, so it'll be slightly difficult to bat during the middle stages of the game. Need to make the most out of the powerplay overs. Win the toss and bowl first," Hayden says. 

Early predictions

6:45 PM IST - Mumbai, with a superior head-to-head record, are predicted to win the game with ease. Click here to know why.

Chepauk is ready for Kolkata vs Mumbai!

. . . . �?

Ready for the showdown, Paltan? #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #IPL2021 #KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/FqUIVELpA5

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 13, 2021

The stage is for tonight! �?#KKRvMI #KKRHaiTaiyaar #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/hc6Iec7tyS

�?KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 13, 2021

Record-breaking night for Hitman?

6:30 PM IST - Rohit Sharma has enjoyed playing against Kolkata, with tonight's fixture likely to see the hitman break two records.

61 - Rohit requires 61 runs to complete 1000 runs against Kolkata in the Indian T20 League. He will become the first player to aggregate 1000 runs against one opponent in the T20 extravaganza.

2 - Rohit is two boundaries away from completing 800 boundaries in T20 cricket. He will be the third Indian to achieve this feat after Virat Kohli (858) and Shikhar Dhawan (915).

Fans turning into cricket gurus

In the event that #KKR will play operating system pacer in the XI at Chennai,I'd prefer to see Ferguson. In case you're playing Cumminsrequesting that he bowl in the center overs, Lockie bodes well.Harder you hit the Chennai surface,More factor ricochet you can separate.#KKRvMI

�?Abhi-Cric (@Abhishek_Cric1) April 13, 2021

Mumbai to rain down sixes?

6:10 PM IST - SportsAdda ambassador Brett Lee has predicted that defending champions Mumbai will score the maximum sixes against Kolkata, considering the depth in their batting order. What does he say? Check out here.

Know the Kolkata vs Mumbai head-to-head record

6:00 PM IST - Kolkata have a disappointing head-to-head record against Mumbai in the Indian T20 League, winning only six of the 27 matches played between these two heavyweight sides. Kolkata, led by Eoin Morgan, have lost their last three matches against Mumbai and will look to end their losing streak.

Hello and welcome to Match 5 of the #VIVOIPL

The Eoin Morgan-led #KKR will square off against #MumbaiIndians led by Rohit Sharma.

Which team are you rooting for?#KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/iLYv4dD9BU

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2021

For more stats and insights, click here.

ICYMI - Kolkata's 100th win

5:55 PM IST - Kolkata's 10-run win over Hyderabad in their opening game of Indian T20 League 2021 went down as their 100th win in the competition. Only Mumbai (120) and Chennai (106) have won more matches than Eoin Morgan's men.

For stats and details of Kolkata's win over Hyderabad, click here.

Wondering where to watch the Indian T20 League live on TV?

5:40 PM IST - The Kolkata vs Mumbai Indian T20 League match will be telecast live at 7:30 PM IST on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD TV channels in India, on Tuesday, April 13.

Live streaming of Kolkata vs Mumbai will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.

Can Kolkata break their Mumbai jinx?

5:30 PM IST - Good evening and a warm welcome to SportsAdda’s live blog for the Indian T20 League 2021!

Defending champions Mumbai seek to register their first win of the latest edition as they take on Kolkata at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Despite starting the latest campaign on the wrong foot, Rohit Sharma’s men start as favourites against Kolkata, given Mumbai hold a 21-6 advantage in the head-to-head record.

However, Kolkata have momentum on their side as they breezed past Hyderabad with a 10-run victory at this very venue on Sunday. This result was just the third win at Chepauk for Eoin Morgan making them the underdogs in the Kolkata vs Mumbai game.

Nevertheless, there’s a lot of action and drama in store, and perhaps even a few surprises, so stay tuned for all the latest updates here!

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

For the first time since February 2018, Australia will tour New Zealand for a five-match T20I series, starting from February 22. The Aussies were initially scheduled to tour New Zealand for a three-match T20I series in March 2020, but that plan was indefinitely postponed owing to the travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

A lot has changed ever since. Australia have toured England for a limited-overs series and have also hosted India for a full-fledged schedule. The Aussies have made several changes to their T20I squad, with Joshua Philippe in line to make his first international appearance.

With that being said, here I list down two players from each team who I think can live up to the potential during the upcoming T20I series.

Aaron Finch

The Aussie captain hasn’t really enjoyed much success in the shortest format of late - failing to cross the 20-run mark in nine of his last 10 appearances in the Big Bash League - thus the upcoming New Zealand series gives him an opportunity to work on his lost form. I believe Finch just needs to enjoy the game rather than putting too much pressure on his own shoulders, especially after his own admission that the harder he trained, the worst his form became. With the ICC T20 World Cup looming, I’m expecting him to put in a stellar performance.

Kane Williamson

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is in the form of his life, and his peak couldn’t have come at any better time, to say the least. The 30-year-old has registered four half-centuries in his last six T20 outings, and this particular statistic is enough to lay down the challenge that he is going to bring. Arguably the most reliable batter of this generation, Williamson will most certainly be the primary threat to the Australian bowling attack, and I’m expecting at least three half-centuries from him in the five-match series.

Glenn Maxwell

Regardless of what has been said about Maxwell, the fact remains that he is one of the most destructive T20 batsmen out there. While the limelight will most likely be on the debutants, Maxwell’s performance will be under the hammer given that the Indian T20 League, as well as the T20 World Cup, are around the corner. Maxwell has had a decent Big Bash League season this year and I don’t personally see him struggling during the New Zealand tour as well. What I’m expecting is one or two blistering knocks from him lower down the batting order.

Trent Boult

Now, this is a tricky pick. Trent Boult didn’t have much success in his previous T20I outings, which makes the upcoming series all the more important for the pacer. The 31-year-old not only went wicketless during the T20Is against Pakistan but also leaked 76 runs across two matches; that’s an economy of over nine. Australia’s visit will not be an easy outing either, but I reckon Boult will certainly improve his figures this time around.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP/ Greg Wood

New Zealand’s 2-0 T20I series win against West Indies was hardly a surprise. Apart from being a formidable side at home in all the three formats, the Kiwis also enjoy a superior home record against West Indies, against home their last and only home loss has come in 2008. 

However, what makes their recently concluded T20I series win special is their ability to pull it off with the same dominance without Kane Williamson, Colin de Grandhomme, Trent Boult, and Colin Munro.

All the four above cricketers are quintessential to New Zealand’s T20I side, and yet none of them was needed to seal the series against the reigning T20 World Cup champions.

Let's look at a potentially full-strength New Zealand side as they build up for the T20 World Cup in India next year.

Top-order

Options: Glenn Phillips, Kane Williamson, Tim Seifert, Colin Munro, Martin Guptill

From Tim Seifert to Glenn Phillips, New Zealand’s top-order is filled with options. Colin Munro is arguably their most destructive opener and would walk back to the side, even if it means demoting Kane Williamson down the order - a role he did well in the Indian T20 League. The plethora of options up top means New Zealand could actually afford to bench Martin Guptill, who has been a hit and miss proposition of late. 

Middle-order

Options: Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Tom Bruce, Ross Taylor

While there are options aplenty at the top, that's not exactly the case in New Zealand’s middle-order. Devon Conway had a fantastic debut series and is likely to be persisted with in the middle. Williamson could join him there as there's no room at the top and we could see one of Mark Chapman or Ross Taylor slot in. 

While Taylor is an effective ODI batsman, he takes time to get off the blocks in T20s and it was time the Kiwis moved on from him. And if everyone except Guptill from the top-order play, Taylor may not be needed at all. However, that will also potentially mean a role change for a top-order batsman as Conway is best suited in the top three place, if not four. 

All-rounders

Options: Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Doug Bracewell, Michael Rippon

Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner are frontline options here and all three should ideally start with de Grandhomme and Neesham splitting overs. Santner is a terrific T20 bowler and more than capable of holding his own at no.7. Daryl Mitchell and Bracewell are handy back-ups, but it's hard to see them jump over the other three into the starting XI.

An x-factor pick and a likely replacement for Taylor in the middle is Michael Rippon, the Dutch-South African who migrated to New Zealand. A handy batsman and a left-arm wrist-spinner, Rippon adds something to New Zealand's spin cupboard that's pretty much bare. 

Spinners

Options: Ish Sodhi

It's here that New Zealand lack options. Santner is a definite starter but he has little support with an unreliable Ish Sodhi. Rippon, as such, is an enticing pick for New Zealand as he is eligible for selection now. Sodhi might continue to be around with the T20 World Cup in India and given his performance there in the last T20 World Cup, but it's only a matter of time before a domestic performer displaces him. For now, the options are slim in the domestic circuit too.

Pacers

Options: Scott Kuggeleijn, Hamish Bennett, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Blair Tickner, Kyle Jamieson

With options in plenty, New Zealand have a terrific pace attack at their disposal, all with varied skillsets. Lockie Ferguson is terrific in all phases while Trent Boult is a lock for the powerplay and possibly even in the death overs, after his showing for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League. Hamish Bennett and Kyle Jamieson remain outside candidates for a place but Shane Bond has thrown his weight behind Jamieson who debuted in the West Indies series. Scott Kuggeleijn had a terrific Caribbean Premier League where he topped the wickets chart and could be in the mix for sure.

Feature Image courtesy: Michael Bradley / AFP

Throughout the tournament, Mumbai seemed like the team to beat and quite a few contributors stood out in their remarkable title-winning campaign. From young guns Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan to the versatile Kieron Pollard, the dynamic Quinton de Kock and the relentless Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai stepped up across disciplines.

But what actually made them near-invincible this season was perhaps the underrated contribution from Trent Boult. Always a fan of left-arm seamers, from Mitchell McCleneghan to Jason Behrendorff and Mustafizur Rahman, Mumbai have had several left-arm pace bowlers - Mumbai unleashed Boult in the Powerplay with devastating effects.

The effect of Boult was manifold and perhaps laid the foundation for Mumbai's success. Seems overboard? Not really if you weigh in the most valuable phase of a T20 game.

Why early wickets are big

Early wickets in T20s are worth their weight in gold.

Firstly, the openers are usually two of the best batters in the side and sending one, or both back to the dugout early is incredibly useful.

Secondly, early wickets force most teams on to their Plan B as the No. 3 is in early and the batting depth question starts hovering over.

Thirdly, the tendency to go hard in the Powerplay is also cut down when you lose wickets upfront, thereby changing the approach of the team throughout the innings.

Boult magic

Boult picked up 16 Powerplay wickets this season, easily the most by any player. That Mumbai have a quality attack capable of running through teams even before Boult came in makes his contributions invaluable.

Every wicket Boult took made Jasprit Bumrah more dangerous and increased his threat as Mumbai could afford to use him late and against the best middle-order batsmen in the opposition side.

The effect of Boult's spells was evident from the fact that Jasprit Bumrah also picked up wickets and conceded runs at the second-best economy rate in the first six overs. Overall, Mumbai were the best team in the Powerplay with the ball by a significant margin.

Early, early wickets

That they had the opposition on the backfoot as many times as they did in the first six overs was tremendous. It made up for some slight tardiness in the middle overs and empowered them to go full tilt in the death with Jasprit Bumrah invariably having 1-2 overs to make a big impact.

Boult set them up even further by getting his Powerplay wickets early too. In a 20-over game, every over contributes immensely to the final cause and the value of a wicket in the first over is greater than that in the sixth over even if both are Powerplay overs.

Boult took eight wickets in the first over and a further six in the third over. Overall, 14 of his 16 Powerplay wickets came inside the first three overs of the innings itself. This adds massive value as it forces teams to not attack as much in the Powerplay. Also, with someone like Bumrah in the ranks, the opposition team is forced to look for runs too from Boult.

Overall, Mumbai hit teams hard in the Powerplay with the ball to dictate terms through the course of the innings and Boult was central to this plan, delivering time and again with the new ball.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Mumbai