CSK vs. Mumbai Indians – that is the biggest game in the Indian Premier League. You can call it our version of the El Clasico. What makes it all the more interesting this time is that both teams are at their very best – no weakness whatsoever.
MS Dhoni has never looked better. Rohit Sharma is in good form as well. But it’s not just about them. Both teams have a squad full of proven star players, who can win a match on their own, any day.
Mumbai have Hardik Pandya, one of the best performers in IPL 2019. Hardik has never been more effective, with the bat or with the ball – especially with the bat. He has looked dangerous and capable of taking away the match from the opposition, no matter the situation.
CSK do not have their own standout star like Pandya, they are more about collective performances. But they have all gelled well together, whether it’s Watson at the top, who has finally regained his form, or Bravo and Jadeja in the lower order. Everything is coming along perfectly for them.
This match, though, is about who makes it to the top 2. That both teams will reach the play-offs is a given. It’s about making it to the top-2. They face stiff competition from Delhi Capitals, led from the front by the aggressive Rishabh Pant.
Who wins this match will indicate who has the advantage leading to the play-offs. The last time these two teams played, Mumbai Indians won, handsomely, putting an end to CSK’s unbeaten run.
What’s going to happen this time, when you know the game is being played at Chepauk, CSK’s home ground? We will see!
The Teams
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Imran Tahir
Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Kieron Pollard, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Suryakumar Yadav, 8 Rahul Chahar, 9 Jason Behrendorff, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Lasith Malinga
Prediction: Tight contest. Anything could happen. Mumbai Indians may just win as they have the X factor in Hardik Pandya and Jaspreet Bumrah.
