The two most successful IPL teams -- Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings -- face off in the 2020 season opener at Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Read MI vs CSK preview and know everything about the match
The last time these two teams met, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) needed nine runs in the final over of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 finale. With Shane Watson in the middle, CSK were the favourites. But Lasith Malinga was there for the Mumbai Indians (MI). Six balls later, Rohit Sharma's MI became the most successful team in the history of IPL, winning it for an unprecedented fourth time. (More Cricket News)
The defeat in Hyderabad was fifth in a row for Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK against the eventual champions MI, who also overtook them in the race for most successful team. Now, the onus is on the three-time champions from Chennai to break the chain of defeat. But, can do it? That we will know soon enough.
As the IPL was moved from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), CSK were hit by turbulence. Several members of the travelling troupe, if we may, including two players, tested coronavirus and the unfortunate development left Suresh Raina panic. Mr. IPL left the team in the lurch, and soon came the news that another veteran, Harbhajan Singh, has opted against joining the team.
Raina's absence left the team with, well, a Raina-shape hole. The former India all-rounder is the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament and has owned the number three position. Now, CSK will need to adjust their batting order. Also, Harbahajan's experience will be missed. That's as bad as it can get. But CSK are a tough side. A look at their history will prove that point.
ALSO READ: Chennai Super Kings - Schedule And Squad
MI will also miss one of their key players in Malinga, the tournament's highest wicket-taker. But it's believed that they have covered all their bases during the auction. In fact, their squad has been strengthened by the arrivals of Chris Lynn and Trent Boult.
Here are the likely XIs
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan (wk), Surya Kumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult.
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir.
Squads
Mumbai Indians: Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Rohit Sharma, Sherfane Rutherford, Surya Kumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Mohsin Khan.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla, Dwayne Bravo, Sam Curran, Karn Sharma, Shane Watson, Shardul Thakur, Ambati Rayudu, Murali Vijay, Josh Hazlewood, Francois Du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, KM Asif, Narayan Jagadeesan, Monu Kumar, RutuRaj Gaikwad, R. Sai Kishore.
Head-to-head
They have 28 times in IPL, with MI winning 17 of those. The highest score in this fixture is 208 by CSK and the lowest is also by CSK, 79. Mi's highest and lowest are 202 and 141.
Match details
What: Match 1 of IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
Where: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE
When: September 19, 2020 (Saturday)/ 7:30 PM IST, 2:00 PM GMT, 6:00 PM local
Telecast details
TV Channels: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi
Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar VIP
Prediction
CSK win a lopsided match. Given the circumstances, CSK have more to lose. Besides, MI are also known for their slow starts.