After a weather delay threatened the 60th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the toss has finally taken place at Eden Gardens. Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to field first against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The rain that held up the start of the match has subsided, but it has forced a revision of the format. Both teams will now play a shortened version of the game, with each side batting for just 16 overs. This decision adds an interesting twist to the high-profile encounter. KKR enter the contest on a winning streak, while MI will be looking to build momentum despite being eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the season.

KKR hold the upper hand in recent meetings, having defeated MI by 24 runs in their last clash. However, with the reduced format, both teams will need to adapt their strategies for a shorter, potentially fast-paced match.

The focus now shifts to the KKR batting lineup, who will be tasked with setting a strong total for MI to chase under the revised format. The toss result gives MI the early advantage of bowling first on a potentially fresh pitch, but KKR will be determined to get off to a quick start and put pressure on the Mumbai bowlers.

Speaking at the toss, MI skipper Pandya said they want to see how the pitch at the Eden Gardens behaves during the game. "We are going to bowl. Just want to see how the pitch behaves. It has been under covers for two days. We all are aware of the stats, but you got to turn up and play good cricket on the day. Same team," Pandya said. 

While KKR captain Iyer confirmed Nitish Rana will replace Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the first eleven.  "I tried it another time (toss), still it came down as heads (smiles at his record on losing tosses). It's part and parcel but it such games it's crucial. Not going to take those excuses though. We want the Q next to our team. Nitish comes in for Angkrish," Iyer said.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan (Wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (C), Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Philip Salt (Wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.