Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most awaited matches in the competition. Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have always been involved in thrilling encounters. Moreover, Mumbai is the only team to have troubled the Men in Yellow historically and the three-time champions would be looking forward to this encounter eagerly,
The CSK, on the other hand, are unbeaten in the tournament after playing three matches. However, the juggernaut could come to a screeching halt if they don’t play to their potential. All their players are looking in good touch but Ambati Rayudu‘s form has deserted and he could be key against his ex-franchise. Even Faf du Plessis could be in line to play given that they make changes to the team depending on the conditions.
Match Details:
The 15th game of the IPL between MI and CSK will be hosted by the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The match starts at 08:00 PM local time (02:30 PM GMT).
The game will be live on Star Sports in India. (Live streaming on Hotstar).
Weather Conditions:
When it comes to Mumbai, humidity troubles the players, especially overseas. It will be at its highest point during the game. The temperature will hover in the lower 30s while there is no prediction of rain as of now. The dew will definitely play its part and toss becomes an important factor in that case.
Last five completed T20 matches: (Most recent- first)
MI – L, W, L, L, W
CSK – W, W, W, W, W
Pitch Condition/Report:
Average first-innings score: 177 (last five-night IPL matches)
Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost –2
Probable Playing XI:
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jason Behrendorff.
Bench: Ishan Kishan, Siddhesh Lad, Evin Lewis, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Pankaj Jaiswal, Aditya Tare, Rahul Chahar, Barinder Sran, Rasikh Salam, Jayant Yadav, Ben Cutting.
Chennai Super Kings
Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir.
Bench: Murali Vijay, Karn Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Sam Billings, Mohit Sharma, Dhruv Shorey, Monu Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Chaitanya Bishnoi, N Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif.
Team News:
Jason Behrendorff has joined Mumbai Indians after the ODI series against Pakistan.
Lasith Malinga is set to leave the team and will play in the domestic One-Day tournament
Power Picks:
Suresh Raina in IPL vs MI:
28 inns, 787 runs, 35.77 average, 145.47 S/R, 7 fifties
Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:
Captain Options: Shane Watson, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suresh Raina.
Vice-Captain Options: Jasprit Bumrah, Ambati Rayudu, Krunal Pandya.
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Head to Head/ Small Leagues:
Keeper – MS Dhoni
Batsmen – Rohit Sharma (C), Suresh Raina, Shane Watson
All-Rounders – Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Dwayne Bravo (VC)
Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir.
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Grand/Mega Leagues:
Keeper – Quinton de Kock (VC)
Batsmen – Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Suresh Raina (C), Ambati Rayudu
All-Rounders – Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja
Bowlers – Lasith Malinga, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir.
Expert Advice:
You have to pick two players with 8 credits to get Watson, Hardik, Raina and Rohit in your team.
Also, can’t pick all of those along with De Kock.
Fancy taking risk? Make either Suryakumar Yadav or Ambati Rayudu captain in Grand League.
Probable Winners:
It’s extremely tough to predict the winner of this match. Defending the total is not easy at the Wankhede stadium and toss could play a crucial role.
*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.
