MI vs CSK, IPL 2020: Finally, it's happening. IPL 2020, which was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19, is all set to commence on Saturday with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.
MI vs CSK has always been an interesting match in the history of IPL. Last year, both the teams locked horns in the finale when Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings to lift the trophy.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as MS Dhoni, will be playing the first match after his retirement from international cricket. However, the CSK will be missing its star players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who have pulled out from this season citing personal reasons.
Pitch Report
The UAE cricket grounds are said to be favourable for spinners. The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi has helped spinners over the years. With the likes of Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, and Rahul Chahar, the spin department of both the teams is phenomenal.
Since the summer season in UAE makes the pitch slower, it is difficult for batsmen to score runs. The highest score can be between 150 to 200 runs.
Team News
For
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sam Curran might be seen playing if Dwayne Bravo hasn't recovered from the knee injury. He didn’t bowl in the CPL final as well because of the same.
For
Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma will be seep opening the innings alongside Quinton de Kock. 9 of the 11 players who played in the final last year, are expected to retain their positions. While Trent Boult could be fill in the one overseas pacer’s slot, the other one could be a between Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell McClenaghan.
Also Read | This is how Royal Challengers Bangalore will pay tribute to Covid Heroes in IPL 2020
Do you know?
Mumbai Indians (MI) last won their opening match of IPL in 2012 while CSK has won its openings games both times since returning in 2018.
Since 2013, Mumbai Indians is the only team to have a win-loss advantage over Chennai Super Kings. Rohit Sharma’s MI has defeated the MS Dhoni-led CSK 10 times in 16 encounters, including the finals of 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Probable XI:
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo/Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile/Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
-PTC News
