Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) make up IPL’s most followed rivalry, and that is hardly stuff for breaking news. It’s only natural for the fans to go ballistic over their games, with many of Indian cricket’s Goliaths being part of one or the other team. But can the rivalry persist in being as celebrated as it is with one side failing to keep its end steady? Mumbai Indians have not won a single game against their archrivals in the past two IPL seasons, regardless of venues. Pair this up with the change of guard for both sides last year, where Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, the rivals’ long-standing leaders, stepped down for the newer generation to lead the way. Would it be fair to say we are witnessing the last of what has been a great rivalry? Hardly. The newer guns need only to emulate what their predecessors did, and the fans will find a way to keep things spicy.
For CSK, this game holds huge importance. In fact, all of their home games do. No one is unaware of their home dominance, least of all MI themselves. What MI will do to combat it will ultimately decide who begins the campaign with the win.
Team Overview:
Mumbai Indians will have to do without a couple of their regulars, most regrettably Jasprit Bumrah and their captain, Hardik Pandya, who will miss out on the opening game as a penalty for a late-over offense last year. Suryakumar Yadav will, thus, stand in as the captain. But who fills Pandya’s role as a seam all-rounder?
One option could be to have Deepak Chahar shoulder one more responsibility and slot in Mujeeb-ur-Rahman in the empty position to exploit Chennai’s riches along with Mitchell Santner. But managing their pacers will be their biggest priority, no matter how early it is in the tournament. Could this affect their batting depth? Not substantially, but batting deep has not been their strongest suit lately. That said, they can work around it by substituting a finisher when the need arises.
CSK’s XI for their home game almost picks itself. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and rookie Noor Ahmad are certain starters, especially at Chepauk. But they have plenty of part-time firepower to further bolster their spin stocks.
What’s more interesting is that they managed to secure probably the most lethal spin attack among all IPL teams without compromising on the quality of their fast-bowling attack. They have Jamie Overton, Sam Curran, and Nathan Ellis among others, ready to be paired with Matheesha Pathirana. Their batting order looks decent enough, with players like Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, and Shivam Dube. All they now need to decide is how they will stack all these options.
Head-to-Head Matches:
MI and CSK have played 39 games against each other, and despite CSK’s recent dominance, the match-up has nearly always been neck-to-neck. MI hold a slight edge with 21 wins, while CSK have 18 wins in their kitty.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Chennai has no forecast for rain, which will only swell the venue’s love for spinners and slow bowlers. The track at this ground is usually sluggish and full of devils. Expect a low-scoring game, with bowlers hodling sway.
Prediction:
CSK’s home and recent dominance make them the favorites against a weakened MI side.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
