In one of the most anticipated matches of the IPL 2019, Mumbai Indians will welcome the mighty Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium on Wednesday.
Mumbai Indians who are currently languishing at the bottom half of the IPL Points table will have their task cut out as they try to stop the rich vein of form that Chennai is currently in.
CSK is currently the only outfit in this year’s IPL which is yet to face a defeat after registering three successive wins on the trot. The defending champions have done well at the Wankhede in the past and will look to extend their unbeaten streak against Mumbai.
Chennai’s biggest positive this year is the performance of its bowlers, especially the spinners who have restricted the opposition from scoring. Imran Tahir is at the form of his life and by currently leading the wicket-takers chart, he can definitely pose a threat to the Mumbai batsmen with his variations.
Chennai Super Kings batsmen also are known to step up to the occasion. Against Delhi, if Shane Watson, helped them chase the target, it was MS Dhoni’s show at Chepauk that helped his team pose a challenging total against Rajasthan. It remains to be seen which batsmen will step up for the team at Mumbai. However, one concern for Chennai is the form of Ambati Rayudu.
Having managed to score only 5 and 1 in the previous two matches, he is struggling to get going along with Shane Watson at the top order. The former Mumbai Indians player should look to score big in Wankhede.
It has been a disappointing season so far for three-time champions, Mumbai Indians. After facing a huge defeat against Delhi in their home, they escaped with a win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, a match which had its share of controversies with umpire failing to notice a no-ball. They again suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab and now find themselves in a
must-win situation.
Rohit Sharma is not at his best touch with the bat. He had his starts but should look to score big along with the in-form Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. Kieron Pollard looked completely out of sorts in the three matches that he has played and it remains to be seen whether MI replaces him with Ben Cutting who can also give them few overs. Their spinners Krunal Pandya and Mayank Markande were also expensive in their previous matches. MI’s bowling unit must perform well together as a unit against CSK. The match against CSK couldn’t come at a more difficult time but the Indians would relish the challenge.