IPL 2020

IPL 2020: Match 1 – MI vs CSK – Match Preview & Probable Playing XI

The much anticipated IPL 2020 is almost here, and two of the heavyweights of the tournament will clash in the opener. Chennai Super Kings will take the defending champions Mumbai Indians for the fourth time in an IPL opener with the latter having won twice.

CSK have faced setbacks even before the start of the IPL with several members of their contingent testing positive for Covid-19, which includes two players (Deepak Chahar and Rituraj Gaikwad). To add to the worse, two of their most senior-most important cogs Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh opted out of the season citing personal issues. The onus will now be on MS Dhoni and others to steady the depleted CSK ship. And for probably the first time in 10 seasons they have played, the MS Dhoni-led team won’t start as favourites.

Rohit Sharma’s MI, on the other hand, will be looking forward to defending their IPL crown and be only the 2nd team after CSK to win consecutive IPL titles.  They too faced a setback in the form of Lasith Malinga who will miss this season, but they have all the bases covered.

Key players from both sides.


Batsman – Shane Watson, Surya Kumar Yadav, MS Dhoni, and Quinton De Kock.

With Suresh Raina absent from the CSK side, their batting lineup will largely rely upon their two biggest match-winners in Shane Watson and captain MS Dhoni. Other players like Rayudu and Du Plessis will need to play supporting roles. For MI the ever-dependable SK Yadav is a player to watch out for and has been outstanding for MI for the past couple of seasons. De Kock is an exciting player and has the ability to dominate both spin & pace alike.

All Rounders – Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Krunal Pandya.

The Pandya brothers, along with Pollard, are a complete package for MI. Though Krunal didn’t have the best of tournaments like Hardik had last year, he will be playing to watch out for in the first game. Hardik, too is returning to the field after a long injury layoff. With DJ Bravo not in the best forms in recent times, the onus will be on Ravindra Jadeja to perform with both and ball.

Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla, and Rahul Chahar.

Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key for them as this CSK has a relatively weak batting lineup sans Suresh Raina. If he can make early inroads, then it will be difficult for CSK to make a comeback. The leg-spinning duo of Tahir and Chawla will take a massive liking to the UAE conditions. Tahir was the highest wicket last season, so he is a key player to watch out for again.

Battles to look forward

  • Imran Tahir vs Rohit Sharma
  • Krunal Pandya vs MS Dhoni
  • Jasprit Bumrah vs Shane Watson

We all know about the troubles of both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma against the left-arm and leg spinners, respectively, so it will be a riveting contest to watch within the match. Both are important wickets for their sides so that these contests may have a say in the game’s outcome. Another contest to watch out for is Shane Watson facing Jasprit Bumrah, which will set the tone for the innings to follow.

Head to Head between CSK and MI

  • Matches Played: 30
  • MI Won: 18
  • CSK won: 12

The MI will walk in as favorites to win this match but one can’t rule out CSK, especially with MS at the helm. 

Significant Approaching Milestones

2 – Dhoni needs 2 more catches to reach 100 catches in IPL.

3 – Dwayne Bravo needs 3 more scalps to complete 150 wickets in IPL.

102 – Rohit Sharma requires 102 more runs to reach 5000 career runs in IPL.

Match conditions

Venue: Sheikh Zayad Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. 

Date & Timings: September 19, 2020, at 7.30 PM IST.

Weather: Clear with the temperature around 34C.

Pitch : Likely to spin and be on the slower side

Probable Playing XI

Mumbai Indians

Rohit Sharma(C), Quinton De Kock(Wk), Surya Kumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter Nile, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult/ Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah.

Chennai Super Kings

Shane Watson, Faf Du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(C & WK), Kedar Jadhav, Ravi Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Piyush Chawla, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir.


FANTASY TIPS FOR THIS MATCH

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