T20 2018: Will Kolkata's strategy of restricting players work against M

Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik during a practice session at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Pics/Atul Kamble

As Mumbai return to their base, the Wankhede Stadium, after nearly two weeks of playing away matches, the defending champions are well aware that they cannot afford to err even slightly when they take on Kolkata today.

Though Mumbai are coming into this match with a win in their last game, another slip-up by them may well put them completely out of contention for the T20 2018's playoffs.

Hat-trick of wins for Kolkata
Kolkata, who have won their last two encounters, are slightly better placed in the points table with five wins from nine games. Mumbai' inconsistent run, however, will not have any impact on Kolkata's planning and strategy. When asked whether they view Mumbai as a tricky opponent, Kolkata's vice-captain Robin Uthappa said: "I don't think we're perceiving it from that point of view. We're looking at where we are coming from and what we want to achieve.

Kolkata's coach Jacques Kallis watches his team's fringe players at a practice match at the Parsee Gymkhana on Saturday

"So, the perception is that we have a number of games to go and we need to win a certain number of those. It is about taking it one game at a time and keeping our goal in the mind. We want to definitely finish in the top two. So, keeping that in mind, we'll work our way up."

Smart operator
Kolkata have been smart operators so far in T20 2018. It is not just their on-field strategies that have paid off, their focused approach too is paying rich dividends. Post the T20 2018 auction, Kolkata's strategy appeared strange as they splurged on India's U-19 World Cup stars and restricted their squad size to just 21 as compared to the likes of Mumbai, who have 27 players in their ranks.

Kolkata, in fact, have been spot on. Uthappa explained the importance of a limited squad. "With a small squad, the roles are more well-defined. It doesn't take too long to get to know one another personally.

"Everyone gets to travel with the team, no one's left behind. So, I think the sense of unity is a lot more. There are more pros than cons. With a smaller squad, you also have that many fewer options. "It gives you a better chance of being successful," said Uthappa.

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