MI vs CSK – IPL 2020 Match 1

After a long wait, here we are finally!
We start from where we left in 2019, with the rivals and the two most successful teams, facing each other to kick-start the Dream11 IPL 2020!

It’s the defending champions taking on the dad’s army. It’s Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, in this first encounter out there in UAE!

MI has not won their first match of the season since 2012, and they would want to turn their initial stage struggles around this time. They’re going to face CSK in the opening encounter of a season for the fourth time in the history of IPL, and they’ve won twice out of the three completed matches, but only in 2009 and 2012, with the third one going to CSK in 2018.

CSK has qualified every year for the playoffs and would look forward to start well in 2020 too. Having played at Chepauk grounds, they are well aware of slow wickets and could adapt to conditions easier as compared to Mumbai who play at Wankhede which is known for its fast paced wickets.

CSK have the biggest disadvantage with no left handed batsman in their top 7 after Raina departed, nor do they possess a wicket-taking off spinner, to tackle the lefties of MI, in their side after Harbhajan took his name off the squad for this season. Having a right-heavy top 7, Krunal and Rahul Chahar might have it easier to tackle the batsmen as they would turn the ball away from them. The only advantages they have are the International experiences of every player, their ability to adapt to the pitch conditions faster, and that the players are all good with playing spin.

MI, on the other hand, have a good balance of Left-Right combination in their top 7 and the uncertainty of who bats at what position in which game would be crucial for them in winning matches, because the opposition’s tactics could be altered on the spot with random changes in their batting order after the first 3/4. Their biggest disadvantage would be to adapt to the slow sluggish wickets of UAE especially against some great quality spin of Jadeja and Tahir.
Also, remember, in the 2014 edition when the initial stage was held in UAE, MI did not register a single win in the 5 games they played there, and this could well be a hindrance to them this time round.

Probable XIs and why –

MI – Quinton De Kock(Wk), Chris Lynn, Rohit Sharma(C), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Haardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

10 members out of 11 (excluding Chris Lynn) should be a certainty to feature in the playing XI in tomorrow’s battle. With QDK, Polly and Boult, they still have one foreign spot open, but with 6 proper bowling options, taking another foreign seamer in the form of Coulter-Nile, McLenaghan or Pattinson, might be a waste of spot, and hence it’s a tossup between Rutherford and Lynn, amongst whom I would suppose that Lynn would be preffered even though he didn’t have a good outing with the bat in the recently concluded CPL 2020. However, the 11th spot is still open for anyone, and the team could go with just 3 overseas players as well, and go with anyone, especially someone like Digvijay Deshmukh, Anukul Roy or Prince Balwant Rai Singh, to give any of them the opportunity from the very beginning. Also, Nathan Coulter Nile was a buy worth 8 Cr., hence he could fancy his chances of being in the XI as well, so that spot is well open.

CSK – Shane Watson, Faf Du Plessis/Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(C)(Wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla/Lungi Ngidi/Imran Tahir (Any 2), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur

Opting for Faf Du Plessis at the top of the order after the departure of Raina should be the preference according to me, which would mean one of Tahir/Ngidi would play alongside Piyush. But, if Murali Vijay is opted as their opening batsman to pair Watson, then both Ngidi and Tahir could be played with Piyush rested, but it would still be an option of 2 players between these 3. It won’t be a surprise if Sam Curran is roped in to the XI by leaving out Ngidi, in terms of not only getting a lower order finisher, but also a Left-Arm seam option alongside Chahar, Thakur and Bravo, to tackle the Right-Left combination threat that MI would possess. Also, Sam Curran could even open the innings and give them the Left handed batsman at the top order to tackle their weakness, though that is a very rare possibility to happen.

Pitch Report –

The pitch has been good for batsmen, and since it’s the first game of the tournament, a fresh wicket always plays in favour of the batsmen, but the spinners always flourish on this ground and do end up troubling the batsmen. Apart from the spinners, Medium pacers like DJ Bravo and Kieron Pollard could also do some damage.
The averge run rate in T20Is on this ground is 7, thereby making a 150+ score a par total on this ground.

Fantasy Tips for Safe players –

C/VC choices – De Kock, MSD, Rohit, Haardik, Watson