IPL 2020 is upon us! After the tournament was postponed, after many hindrances and altercations, the IPL will finally begin today in UAE.
The tournament will kick off with the biggest rivalry in its history as defending and four-time champions Mumbai Indians will take on three-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
Today we will preview the first meeting of the arch-rivals. We’ll go through the team news, the current form of players and try to make a prediction as to who begins the season with a win.
Chennai Super Kings
The Super Kings have had a haphazard route throughout their preparation. After landing in UAE, 13 of their staff including two players were tested positive for COVID-19. After that, two veterans Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh had withdrawn from the competition.
The fact that they are still considered one of the favourites, goes to show what the team is capable of especially under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. CSK will play Piyush Chawla in place of Harbhajan Singh and will play Faf du Plessis at number 3.
Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup is pretty much the same as it was last year. The franchise likes to establish consistency. This time, however, they have made it even more equipped. Due to Lasith Malinga’s withdrawal, he may be replaced probably by Mitchell McClenaghan.
They have many options like Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and James Pattinson for the same. They also have an experienced Dhawal Kulkarni who can chip in if they want to make the batting stronger by adding Lynn.
Fantasy XI team!
QUINTON DE KOCK (9.5) (WK) – De Kock will open the innings for MI. Therefore, there are more chances of him scoring more than MSD who comes in to bat at 6 or 7.
AMBATI RAYADU (9) – Rayadu will open the innings and has done well for the last two years.
FAF DU PLESSIS (9) (VC) – Du Plessis will come in number 3 for CSK. In the absence of Suresh Raina, he’s expected to play more like an anchor depending upon the situation. He will be my Vice-captain.
ROHIT SHARMA (10.5) (C) – Sharma will open the innings with De Kock. You can risk him by making him your Captain as well.
RAVINDRA JADEJA (8.5) – Jadeja will be useful on UAE pitches and you get him for a relatively low sum of 8.5.
HARDIK PANDYA (9.5) – Pandya can get wickets with the ball and can also hit a few big shots.
KIERON POLLARD (9) – Pollard will get to back at number 5 or even 4 depending upon the situation.
DEEPAK CHAHAR (8.5) – Chahar is known for taking early wickets in the powerplay overs.
IMRAN TAHIR (9.5) – Tahir will lead the CSK bowling attack.
JASPRIT BUMRAH (9) – Bumrah can always be in the wickets due to his yorkers and slower deliveries.
RAHUL CHAHAR (8) – If you see a leg spinner for a relatively low price, GO FOR IT! Chahar was important in MI’s tournament win last year.
*The player’s purchase points have been taken from Fantasy IPL
PREDICTION
Mumbai Indians seem more strong and balanced on paper so probably they will get the job done. However, they’re known for starting slow and you never know what tricks MSD has in his sleeves
It will be difficult to assess the team for this particular game since it’s the first match. A lot of cricketers haven’t been playing cricket due to pandemic, therefore, it’s also difficult to evaluate their current form.
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