Returning to the fray after serving out a two-year suspension, two-time winners Chennai Super Kings will take on reigning champions Mumbai Indians in the lung-opener of the Indian Premier League here on Saturday.
The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony.
MI, led by Rohit Sharma, appear to face an arduous task against the star-studded Chennai side, led by their charismatic skipper MS Dhoni who is back at the helm following the team's two-year ban in 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons along with Rajasthan Royals.
The visitors would surely like to begin their campaign with a bang against their arch-rivals in the latter's backyard. Mumbai will bank on their skipper Sharma, who has kept the number of his batting position under wraps for this game, but his role will be crucial.
The role of Pandya brothers - Hardik and Krunal as all-roundersalong with Jasprit Bumrah will also be important.
Chennai, on the other hand, have a more settled team as they have retained their core players like Dhoni, Raina and Jadeja. While Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan and Shardul Thakur are there to share the burden.