The tournament is slowly picking up pace. Teams are in the quest to find the right combination and momentum to surge ahead. The tournament has now moved to Ahmedabad and Delhi leg. 

MI’s unfamiliar sluggishness:

Mumbai Indians played their first 5 games at the Chepauk, Chennai. They seem to have mastered the art of playing on these slow low wickets. MI ran RCB close in their opening game and then went on to defeat KKR and SRH. The defending champions had notched up 4 points without even playing their best cricket. They went on to lose a close game against DC. 

The defeat to DC felt an aberration but PK defeated them convincingly and the gaps started getting wider in MI’s arsenal. Their batting apart from Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav has failed to click. Rahul Chahar has been their standout bowler but their bowling too in general has lacked discipline. MI will be keen to iron out all their flaws going into the 2nd phase of the league. The conditions at Delhi surprisingly suited MI and they romped home to a comfortable win against RR. They will be severely tested against CSK.

CSK 2.0 in IPL 2021:

CSK began the tournament on a slightly slippery note. They posted a good total against DC but failed to defend that. CSK came back strongly in the 2nd game and blew away PK. They picked up crucial wickets in the powerplay to dent PK’s innings. CSK put a dominant performance in the game against RR. They comfortably won against them and stormed to the 2nd spot in the points table. CSK boast of having the best Net Run Rate among teams currently. Their experienced outfit has mastered the conditions at Mumbai smartly. 

CSK are one of the most balanced teams in the IPL. They are on a roll and even a spirited KKR fightback couldn’t stop them from winning. CSK demolished RCB at the Wankhede and notched up a comfortable victory against SRH. They are the table toppers and look unstoppable.

MI vs CSK: Favourites?

MI are coming off from a well deserved break. They ended their Chennai leg with 2 losses on the trot. MI got back to winning ways with a win over RR. They are currently 4th in the points table with 3 wins and 3 losses. The Delhi pitch might suit the stroke makers of MI a bit more as compared to Chennai. MI’s lower middle-order is yet to fire and this might be the right time for them to come good.

CSK are flying high on confidence. They are the table toppers even though they have played 1 game less. Their real challenge will come when they face defending champions, MI. It is a contest between two heavyweight sides. The won who wins this game might hold a severe advantage progressing into the 2nd phase of the league.

Which players will be match-winners in this game?

Quinton de Kock showed semblance of form in the last game. He possesses a good record against CSK. Expect him to fire in this game too. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad has proven his class over the last few games this season. CSK will expect him to deliver against a champion side like MI.

X-factor player:

Trent Boult has a favourable match up against in-form CSK opener, Faf du Plessis. He will be expected to deliver for MI.

Ravindra Jadeja has a great record against Rohit Sharma. He will be key player for CSK.

Probable Playing XI:

Mumbai Indians predicted XI:

Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah

Chennai Super Kings predicted XI:

Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar

What do stats say about MI vs CSK?

MI and CSK have played 30 IPL games against each other.

MI has won 18 matches. CSK has won 12 games.

MI’s highest score against CSK is 202. CSK’s highest score against MI is 208.

MI’s lowest score against CSK is 79. CSK’s lowest score against MI is 141.

Pitch:

The Delhi pitch has surprisingly played well in both the games so far this season. It stayed true for the entire course of 40 overs. Teams will enjoy batting under these conditions.

Weather Report:

A high of 42 degrees and a low of 25 degrees is expected. There are no chances of rain. Dew might play a factor and teams will like to chase in these conditions.

Ground stats:

150 is the average score at this venue. But if the last match is anything to go by then 175 might just be a par score.

StumpsandBails verdict:

It is the clash of the titans. Expect a cracker of a contest. Vintage CSK start slight favourites in this game.