Chennai, Apr 23:
Struggling former champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will be eyeing consistency as they await the return of their former captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, respectively, when they face off in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Rohit (hamstring) and Dhoni (calf strain) are on the comeback trail, but it remains to be seen whether either will take the field at Wankhede Stadium for what has historically been an iconic IPL clash.
However, the subplot goes beyond the two Indian stalwarts, with both teams – who share 10 IPL titles between them – still battling multiple issues on several fronts.
CSK began the tournament in search of form and the right combination, as most teams do, and just as they appeared to be settling, a hamstring injury to local talent Ayush Mhatre, who had scored 201 runs, dealt a major blow.
Once again, CSK find themselves back at the drawing board, looking to fill the gap in their batting reserves, with Gujarat wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel among the options.
CSK will be keen to see their batters fire collectively after a disappointing loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, a match they should have closed out comfortably while chasing 130 off 90 balls with eight wickets in hand, but a lack of initiative from the middle order allowed SRH to turn the tide in their favour.
While Sarfaraz has been consistent with 147 runs, he is yet to convert starts into a big innings despite holding a key batting role, especially with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad enduring a disappointing campaign with just 82 runs.
A lot will similarly ride on Sanju Samson (192 runs) as well, given that the India wicketkeeper-batter returns to the venue of his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics.
CSK will also be aiming to snap their two match losing streak, banking on their strong recent record against MI, having won four of the last five encounters.
With both teams on four points each, only net run rate separates seventh placed MI (0.067) and eighth placed CSK (-0.780), as in-form sides have already pulled ahead with eight or more points.
Tilak Varma’s brilliance in Ahmedabad helped Mumbai Indians end their four match losing run, but the five-time champions remain in damage control mode. For MI, Tilak’s century could well prove the spark they needed to reignite their campaign, given their proven ability to navigate such situations in the IPL.
However, the biggest concerns remain the form of India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and MI captain Hardik Pandya, with Suryakumar managing just one half century so far and Pandya yet to deliver the late fireworks or steady the innings when needed.
In both situations, Naman Dhir has been tasked with stepping up, and the Punjab batter has done so with some distinction.
Jasprit Bumrah’s return among the wickets was a major boost for MI in their emphatic 99-run win, alongside Ashwani Kumar’s four-wicket haul, easing concerns in the camp as neither Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar nor Hardik Pandya have provided consistent early breakthroughs.
For MI, English all-rounder Will Jacks has arrived in India, joined the camp ahead of Thursday’s match, and has been training at the Wankhede Stadium, with expectations that he will further strengthen the lineup.