CSK will be looking to carry forward their brilliant start to the IPL 2019. (Source: IPL)They are the two most successful sides in IPL history and they have both got off to the kind of starts that their fans have come to expect from them. Chennai Super Kings have won all three matches they have played so far while Mumbai Indians, the perennial slow starters, have lost two and won one.
CSK’s victories have come against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. MI, on the other hand, have beaten RCB too but lost to DC and KXIP. Their last defeat was followed by a Rs 12 lakh fine being slapped on Rohit Sharma by the BCCI for maintaining a slow over-rate.
CSK are favourites to win with the Dhoni-led side high on confidence. The wicketkeeper-batsman himself has carried forward his form in international cricket to the IPL. He most notably scored 75 off 46 balls to lift his side from 27/3 to 175/5 against RR in their last encounter before Dwayne Bravo showcased his death over skills later in the day.
In conditions which were wet and very difficult for the bowlers, RR’s Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer needed 12 runs in the final over to get their side over the line. The visitors managed to make only three runs in the final over as Bravo kept it tight by dismissing Stokes on the first ball of the final over, followed by the wicket of Shreyas Gopal.
If CSK boast of batting depth, MI will bank on pace attack on a pitch that is expected to offer bounce and carry. While the Yellow Army possess of a strong spin department including Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja, Mumbai will again be banking on their captain Rohit and South African Quinton de Kock to produce a high total.
Mumbai have a new recruit in West Indian fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, and can also choose between all-rounder Ben Cutting and Lasith Malinga.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Rahul Chahar, Ben Cutting, Pankaj Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Siddhesh Lad, Evin Lewis, Mayank Markande, Mitchell McClenaghan, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Behrendorff, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Salam, Anmolpreet Singh, Barinder Sran, Aditya Tare, Suryakumar Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Quinton de Kock.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain & WK), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Sam Billings, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan (wk), Scott Kuggeleign.
