One loss, one win — the Kolkata Knight Riders are in a situation where it’s difficult to say whether they have found their footing in IPL 2025. For that, they will need a win in their third game, against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Monday.

The loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home in the opener, especially after a glitzy opening ceremony anchored by principal owner Shah Rukh Khan, was an anticlimax of a beginning for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

However, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side quickly turned it around and returned to winning ways with a solid eight-wicket away win over Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati in their second game.

On a slightly tricky wicket in Guwahati, the kind of control the Knights exhibited certainly keeps them in good stead ahead of Monday’s clash, more so as MI go into the game after being beaten relatively easily by Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans in their first two matches of this edition.

The Knights’ head coach Chandrakant Pandit, too, acknowledged that his team is better placed than MI. “More than anything else, I would definitely think about the way our team played the last game. Mumbai Indians have not been playing in that manner, so that is another advantage which can help us put pressure on them,” Pandit emphasised.

“But the game is being played here in Mumbai, and we have to adapt to the conditions. That is what our planning has been around. Hopefully, we’ll be able to execute our plans.

“However, the Wankhede pitch isn’t like what we have here during the Ranji Trophy. On this occasion, it should be easier to deal with,” Pandit added.

Home comfort is indeed a factor MI will be banking on in such a situation. For former captain Rohit Sharma and MI’s key man Suryakumar Yadav, making the most of the Wankhede track, where they have grown up playing, shouldn’t be much of a problem.

That said, MI do need their captain Hardik Pandya to step up, with the bat at least. Bowling-wise, Pandya has been doing a pretty decent job, but as a batter, he hasn’t been in his element. Pandya’s approach and intent against his former team, the Titans, in Ahmedabad on Saturday was quite baffling to see. The urgency seemed to be not quite there when he took the crease.

The Knight Riders’ bowling attack, especially their spinners, will not be too easy to put away. Varun Chakravarthy is back in his rhythm after an indifferent outing against RCB, where Phil Salt and Virat Kohli had comfortably put him away in good batting conditions.

Ace off-spinner Sunil Narine is also fit and available for selection after being unwell and missing the Royals game. “Sunil is 100 per cent fit. He has definitely recovered well and has been practising since yesterday (Saturday). So, he is absolutely fine at the moment,” the head coach said.

If Narine returns to the XI, Moeen Ali, who was one of the architects of the Knights’ victory over the Royals along with Varun and Quinton de Kock, will have to sit out.

That said, wouldn’t it be wiser to strengthen the spin attack and continue with Moeen as the third spinner alongside Varun and Narine, and bench Spencer Johnson? Agreed, the red-soil Wankhede pitch offers extra bounce, which quicks can make use of. But that extra bounce can be of use to the spinners as well.

Spencer, though, can use his shaping-in delivery to cause problems for Rohit, who has departed very early in both games so far. But primarily it’s spin that has troubled the Mumbai batters more.