Mumbai Indians consist of world-class players and that is why it is good for us to play the four-time champions early in the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik said on Tuesday.
The two teams have faced each other 25 times and the Kolkata-based franchise has won only six matches.
“They (Mumbai Indians) have a team of world-class players; they are a strong lineup and the number of IPL titles they have won shows that. It’s good that we are playing Mumbai early in the tournament. Every year is a different year. I am sure it will be a great game tomorrow,” said Karthik during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Karthik also hinted that Shubman Gill and Sunil Narine will be opening the batting for KKR. “Shubman is a quality player. I am sure he will exceed all expectations and it’s good to have him. Gill and Narine make a good opening combination,” he said.
Karthik admitted that he has the ‘problem of plenty’ to pick the XI from a revamped Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
“One of the tough points for KKR at this point of time is picking the right XI. A lot of guys have put their hands up and are ready for selection. It’s going to be an interesting one and a tough one but that's a good sign.”
"We are in a good space. One of our strengths is the variety we have in our pace department. All four Indian pacers are shaping up really well. It's going to be a hard decision to make who's going to start the tournament," Karthik said.