Kolkata Knight Riders resumed their IPL 2021 campaign in Abu Dhabi with a 9-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kolkata's bowling unit was outstanding in the match. Bangalore were bowled out for 92 runs, and Kolkata needed only 10 overs to reach the target. Kolkata could deploy their winning eleven in the MI vs. KKR match on Thursday (September 23) in Abu Dhabi, thus Shakib Al Hasan's chance of making the playing XI is minimal. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians restarted their season with a 20-run loss against Chennai Super Kings. They will be eager to regain their winning rhythm.   Read: IPL 2021: Scenarios of Playoffs Qualification for Eight Teams MI vs. KKR: Team News With 8 points, the Mumbai Indians are in fifth place, while the Kolkata Knight Riders are in sixth place with 6 points. The 14th season of the IPL is currently at a pivotal moment, with each team vying for a top spot in the standings. Losing a match means a big drop in the points table, and net run rate is an important consideration as well. Two of Mumbai Indians' key players Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya did not participate in the match against Chennai Super Kings. These two might play in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Aside from that, any changes to the Mumbai playing XI are unlikely. Read: Kohli to step down from Bangalore captaincy after IPL season Most runs (Mumbai): Rohit Sharma (250) | Most Wickets (Mumbai): Rahul Chahar (11) Probable Playing XI (Mumbai):  Rohit Sharma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah The Kolkata Knight Riders are unlikely to make any changes to their lineup. For Kolkata, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, and Lockie Ferguson were all outstanding with the ball against Bangalore. Batsmen had little trouble chasing down the target after a superb bowling performance. As a result, Eoin Morgan and the rest of the team will put their faith in these players to confront the defending IPL champion Mumbai Indians. Shakib Al Hasan will have to wait till the next match if Kolkata stick with the same lineup. Shakib has to play more regularly in order to thrive in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Read: Mustafizur departs for Dubai to play IPL Most runs (Kolkata): Nitesh Rana (201) | Most Wickets (Kolkata): Andre Russell (10) Probable Playing XI (Kolkata):  Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy Match Time (MI vs KKR): 8 pm (Bangladesh Standard Time) | Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi)   Read:IPL 2021: Those who are at the Top Before the Tournament Resume Head-to-Head: MI vs. KKR Mumbai Indians have an excellent recent record against Kolkata Knight Riders. They have won 12 times in the past 13 meetings with Kolkata. So, Knight Riders have recently found it difficult to compete with the Indians. Both teams have played each other 28 times in total. Mumbai leads the head-to-head record with 22 victories, while Kolkata have only won 6 games. Read: Shakib, Mustafizur unlikely to play in the remainder of IPL 2021 Bottom Line Kolkata Knight Riders are in desperate need of a win, as they have only 6 points from their first eight games. Knight Riders must win at least four more matches in the next six in order to qualify for the playoffs. It's crucial for the Kolkata team to keep their winning streak intact. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have 8 points from 8 games and need to win at least three of their remaining matches. Therefore, we may anticipate a competitive clash between these two teams, with the winner moving up the IPL 2021 points table.