Mumbai Indians (MI) will play Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 12th match of IPL 2025 on Monday, March 31. The much-awaited encounter will be held at the historic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
MI Aims For 1st Win, KKR Seeks To Extend Winning Streak
Five-time title-winners Mumbai Indians are yet to make their first points in this season and would be desperate to make a turnaround after a woeful beginning. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders, who posted their first win of the season last time around, will be hoping to keep up their winning habit and bolster their point table tally.
Pitch Report: Batting-Friendly Conditions Await
The Wankhede Stadium pitch is considered to be a batters’ paradise with lots of runs on offer. The red soil ground surface facilitates stroke play, and the short boundaries ease ball dispatches to the fence. With dew considered to come into play, captains winning the toss may elect to chase, which tends to be the case here.
Weather Forecast: Warm & Cloudy Conditions Expected
According to AccuWeather, the temperature during the beginning of the match will be approximately 32°C, slowly decreasing to 30°C as the night wears on. The humidity is expected to vary between 39% and 52%. Although the sky could be cloudy, the possibility of rain interfering with the game is low, promising an uninterrupted game.
With both sides targeting vital points, the stage is all set for an electric duel at Wankhede as MI seeks to reverse their fortunes against a strong contingent KKR.
Toss Strategy For MI Vs KKR Match
Chasing is usually the preferred option at Wankhede Stadium because of several reasons. The dew factor is one of them, as it becomes more difficult for bowlers to hold the ball in the second innings, which favors the batting team under lights. Moreover, the batting-friendly pitch, flat in nature and with the shorter boundaries, is more suitable for the batters to score freely, and thus teams get inclined to chase instead of setting a target. Past trends also favor this strategy, with teams batting second having been more successful at this ground in past IPL seasons, making captains choose bowling first every time they win the toss.
