Clash of the legends

Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders pay a visit to the Mumbai Indians, boosted by the return of Sachin Tendulkar, in the Indian Premier League today.

Kolkata are currently in fourth spot in the league with 10 points, but Mumbai with eight points have played a game less than Kolkata (9).

Both teams are coming into this game on the back of impressive victories inspired by brilliant individual performances by their overseas stars. For Mumbai it was Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, who starred in a nine-wicket victory over the Chennai Superstars, while renegade Pakistani fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar led Kolkata to a 23-run victory over the Delhi Daredevils.

Sachin Tendulkar's much awaited return dominated most of the pre-match buzz of the Mumbai/Chennai encounter but it was Jayasuriya (114 not out of 48 balls), who scored the second-fastest IPL hundred that was punctuated with 11 sixes, who led Mumbai to their fourth win in a row.

Shaun Pollock was replaced as captain by Tendulkar, but the South African's immaculate early spell (4-1-9-1) played a huge part for his team.

The Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata were boosted by Akhtar, who made his delayed IPL entry in sensational fashion. The world's fastest bowler, who had his five-year ban suspended by one month so that he could play in IPL, took 4/11 in the win over Delhi.

The Rawalpindi-born bowler said he had nothing to prove, but his last spell could not be a clearer warning to Mumbai's batsman and this match could effectively be that – a clash between ageing greats Tendulkar and Jayasuriya against the speed of Akhtar.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.