India’s veteran pacer Umesh Yadav has revealed that the biggest challenge for Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers will be to dismiss Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma. Rohit has an impressive record while batting against KKR and he would look to carry the same form against the three-time champions on Wednesday.

Rohit has scored 1161 runs in 36 IPL innings against KKR at an average of 40.03 and a strike rate of 131.19. Earlier in the season, Rohit scored 78 runs off 38 balls against KKR and played a key role in his team’s six-wicket win.

Yadav highlighted Rohit’s impressive numbers against KKR and said Ajinkya Rahane’s team would want to get rid of the veteran batter, sooner rather than later.

Umesh Yadav said on Star Sports, “Another thing is that Rohit Sharma’s record against KKR while batting has been very good, he has scored almost 1100 runs against them. That is also something KKR will have to keep in mind. Also, he really likes batting at this ground, which is the Kolkata ground. So I think the biggest challenge for KKR and their bowlers will be to dismiss him.”

On the other hand, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif said Sunil Narine vs Rohit Sharma will be a key battle, and the veteran spinner can trouble the MI opener.

He said, “Narine is a brilliant bowler. This is not just his first year, he has been dominating the IPL for a long time. He was the Man of the Match in the previous game against Gujarat Titans. So of course, it is a battle, but Narine is slightly ahead because of the variation he has. Whether you talk about his off-spin or his carrom ball, both deliveries turn. When he bowls off-spin, the ball turns, and even his carrom ball turns. So it becomes a two-way trap where batters often get stuck. Of course, Rohit Sharma has been a strong batter, but in my opinion, Narine can trouble him because he is a high-quality bowler.”

It will be a must-win game for KKR to keep their playoff hopes alive.