Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians: A clash of old rivals

Chennai Super Kings will be locking horns with Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Usually, when the two teams clash, either it's a critical decider match or knockout, or final match. However, this time it will be all about giving their best despite the game not landing them with any benefit.

Despite having an odd start to the tournament and going through the change of captaincies, Chennai Super Kings have somehow managed to maintain their slightest chance of making it through all. However, it won't be short of any miracle if they qualify for the playoffs. If they got defeated today, the slightest hope would be diminished. They would be favourites to win, especially after their openers, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, find their form terrifically. Having Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the entire IPL season due to a rib injury, the team will be looking to fit a suitable all-rounder in his spot. 

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians, when they looked to get a few wins, their crucial player Suryakumar Yadav got ruled out of IPL due to injury. And in his absence, their side doesn't look as formidable as it was with his presence. Though Tim David and Daniel Sams looked to be in decent form in the previous few matches, they got rocked by Kolkata Knight Riders in their last fixture. 

Players to watch out for

Batters: Devon Conway and Tilak Varma

Devon Conway is enjoying great form this season. He has smashed three half-centuries in the last three games. He made 87 off 49 in the previous match to help CSK win against DC and will be a crucial player today as well. Tilak Varma is one of the few MI players having a great season. He is the leading run-scorer for the franchise, having scored 334 runs at an average of 37.11 in 11 matches. 

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Dwayne Bravo

Both the bowlers are leading wicket-takers for their respective franchises. Jasprit Bumrah picked fifer in the previous match against KKR, including a maiden over. He will play a crucial role in scalping wickets for MI. Dwayne Bravo has taken 16 wickets in 9 games at a strike rate of 12.1 and will be a vital player.

Stats to keep an eye on

• In IPL 2022, Kieron Pollard scored only 144 runs in 11 innings at an average of 14.40 and a strike rate of 107.46.
• This season, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard have struggled against spin, having four and five dismissals against spin.
• Jasprit Bumrah has contrasting numbers against Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni. Gaikwad has taken him for 21 runs off ten balls without getting out, while Dhoni has scored only 60 runs off 60 balls against him with three dismissals.

In an earlier clash of this season, Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by three wickets with the help of Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni anchoring the innings. They have faced each other 33 times in IPL history, with Mumbai Indians enjoying wins of 19 matches, whereas CSK has won only 14 games. It will be interesting to see which side registers their win in tonight's clash.