Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2020 opener on September 23. Speaking on playing a tough opponent early in the tournament, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik said it is a good to play them out.

Meanwhile, Kolkata don’t enjoy a great record with Mumbai. The two teams have played 25 matches against each other, out of which 19 have been won by Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai. The Knight Riders will be desperate to improve their run while Mumbai will want to come to winning ways. Incidentally, Mumbai Indians started their IPL 2020 journey with a loss to Chennai Super Kings.

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Good to play Mumbai Indians early – Dinesh Karthik

Speaking on the challenges of playing Mumbai Indians early, Dinesh Karthik downplayed their opponent. The veteran said it is good against them early and the fans can be upbeat for an exciting encounter.

“They (Mumbai Indians) have a team of world-class players, they are a strong lineup and the amount of IPL titles they have 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 Dinesh Karthik during a virtual press conference.

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Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders have a star-studded overseas line with Eoin Morgan and Pat Cummins leading the charge. World Cup-winning England skipper Eoin Morgan admitted that he is ready to play as a finisher in the teams wants to. Morgan has been in match practise playing a couple of matches and will want to make his homecoming special.

“I think with the squad we have, it gives us a lot of options in both batting and bowling. I think within the squad we have a number of versatile cricketers. I know Andre Russell has played the role of a finisher for KKR, hopefully, if I do get the role of a finisher, I will do that,” said Morgan.