[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="628"] The No.1 ranked all-rounder across formats is an important member of the Gautam Gambhir’s team[/caption] Jannatul Naym Pieal In a potentially enticing contest, Shakib Al Hasan's Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 Match 51 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. [Watch ভিডিও ক্লিপঃ আইপিএলে সাকিবের ৩৮ বলে ৬০ রানের টর্নেডো ইনিংস] KKR somehow managed to sneak a one-wicket win against Kings XI Punjab in their last match on Saturday. The victory has helped them sit on the top of the table for a while. With their latest victory, they also have almost made it to the play-offs, and are just one win away from laying all other mathematical equations to rest. If they win against either Mumbai Indians or Rajasthan Royals, their spot in the play-off will be confirmed. A victory against both, and a defeat for Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in their games, could see them finish in the top two. KKR after a consistent run in the season, are placed in the second spot at the moment with 15 points from 12 games, needing just one point to book their play in the knock-out stage. They will be boosted in the remaining matches by the joining of Bangladesh flamboyant all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who missed the earlier part of the Twenty20 tournament due to his national commitments. However, it is still unsure whether or not Shakib will be played in today's match at Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai Indians. His inclusion in the team will largely depend on how his team aims to go in the match. The Knight Riders have played quite well in absence of the world's top all-rounder and also got a good combination of four overseas players till date. Andre Russell, Johan Botha, Brad Hogg and Sunil Narine were the four overseas players to have played in their last match against Kings XI Punjab. West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell was a bit expensive with the ball as he conceded 50 runs and took a wicket in his four-over quota. However he proved his worth with the bat when he smashed 51 off 21 balls. His quickfire knock featured 5 fours and 4 sixes. Sunil Narine was outstanding with the ball as he scalped a four-for giving away 19 runs only. Brad Hogg had a mediocre day both with the bat and the ball. First he went for 30 runs without a wicket and also failed to contribute much as a batsman. Johan Botha was the flop among the overseas players. He bowled only a single over and conceded 9 runs without a wicket. Again with the willow, he added just 2 runs and was eventually missed out cheaply. So, there is a little possibility that Shakib Al Hasan may replace the South African all-rounder in today's match. But it won't be much of a surprise if Kolkata team management wants to keep their winning combination from the last match. In that case, Shakib may have to be left out. But still, keeping all the equations aside, we have to wait till the end to see if Shakib is made to take the field. KKR Squad: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Manish Pandey, Pat Cummins, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell, Veer Pratap Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Azhar Mahmood, Brad Hogg, Sumit Narwal, Sheldon Jackson, Aditya Garhwal, Kishan Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Johan Botha.