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The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to be resumed in the UAE after four months of postponement due to Covid-19. Arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will clash at Dubai on Sunday to get the season up and running.
MS Dhoni’s side are sitting second on the points table with 10 points, winning five and losing two of their seven games. They have played one fewer game than the table-toppers Delhi Capitals and have by far the best net run-rate in the tournament of +1.263.
The defending champions Indians are in fourth place with eight points from seven matches. Rohit Sharma’s men have won four games and have lost three. MI had won their last two games before the postponement.
Both CSK and MI faced each other in their last match of the 2021 season at Delhi, where MI came triumphant by four wickets in a last-ball thriller.
CSK posted 218/4 in 20 overs on the back of half-centuries from Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali and Faf du Plessis. In response, Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya scored 30s while Kieron Pollard played a sensational knock of 87* off 34 to clinch the victory.
Mumbai Indians remain unaffected by the countless player replacements ahead of the second leg, while CSK have one change with Jason Behrendorff coming in for Josh Hazlewood. Expect a hard-fought contest as both the teams look to resume their campaign on a winning note.
Key Players
The former SA skipper Faf du Plessis was terrific in the first leg of the IPL 2021, amassing 320 runs in seven games at an average of 64 and strike rate of 145.45 with four fifties. The stylish right-hand batter has had a very good T20 career with over 6500 runs averaging 30.81 while striking at 129.37.
He had two magnificent knocks of 120* and 84 in the recently concluded CPL season. There are some injury clouds, but he’s expected to be fit for the first match.
Quinton de Kock has a magnificent record in T20 cricket, having scored over 6900 runs at 34.33 while striking at 138.78, including four centuries and 43 fifties. De Kock has been in supreme touch with some of the knocks in his last 10 T20s, reading 27, 72*, 57*, 36, 58* and 59*.
Moeen Ali has great numbers in the format, having scored over 4000 runs at an average of 25.12 while striking at 141.29, including two hundreds and 22 fifties. The 34-year-old also has 127 wickets to his name at an economy of 7.63.
Moeen was excellent for CSK in the first leg, batting at number 3, scoring 206 runs in six innings at an average of 34.33 and scoring rate of 157.27. In the recent Men’s Hundred competition, the left-hander was outstanding, scoring 210 runs in six innings at a similar average and strike rate.
Jasprit Bumrah has taken 215 wickets in 179 T20s at an economy of just 7.03, with the best of 4/14. Bumrah was the most economical bowler for MI in the first leg with 6 wickets at an economy of 7.11. Jasprit returned back to his lethal best in the recently concluded Test series against England and might get amongst wickets in the UAE.
Prediction
CSK and MI have the fiercest rivalry in the history of the competition. Mumbai Indians have enjoyed an edge over the three-time champions, winning 19 out of 31 matches while CSK claimed 12.
Dhoni’s CSK were superb in the first leg, with the batting unit of Ruturaj Gaikwad, du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja in sublime touch. The bowling unit, as is the case with Dhoni’s teams, found a way to be effective.
Mumbai Indians were consistent largely due to the failures of their lower-middle order. The bowling unit and top-order looked in good touch. They did gain momentum with two straight wins before the interruption, but they will have to start again. With MI’s tendency to take time to get going, CSK should head into the game as favourites.
