Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Playing 11 IPL: Team News, Players to watch out for
Having suffered two defeats against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 so far, Chennai Super Kings host Rohit Sharma’s men once again this season in the Qualifier 1, a match which will help the tournament decide its first finalist of season 12. Having endured unsuccessful outings against MI so far, CSK are expected to make certain strategical changes in order to turn around their fortunes against the 3-time champions.
Mitchell Santner had done exceptionally well when Mumbai had come to the venue earlier this season. Dhoni might be tempted to field Santner again considering his exploits but his return would come at the cost of Dwayne Bravo who is a reliable death bowling option.
Shane Watson’s poor run of form is also a worry but considering the nature of the fixture, it might be a little risky to bench the experienced campaigner.
Mitchell McClenaghan was impressive with the ball against Kolkata Knight Riders and the spin-friendly surface at Chepauk is likely to see Mayank Markande or Anukul Roy being drafted in the playing eleven. Either Evin Lewis or Ishan Kishan will play at No. 4 while the talk over Yuvraj Singh’s continued absence is making a noise among fans.
Here’s a look some of the players who will be under focus as Chennai Super Kings host Mumbai Indians:
Lasith Malinga: The Sri Lankan speedster has been one the most productive player with the ball for the Mumbai franchise. He has 15 wickets to his name in 10 matches, only behind Jasprit Bumrah who has 17 in 14. Having picked up three wickets during his previous arrival in Chennai, together with a 3-wicket-haul against KKR in the last fixture, the veteran pacer is expected to deliver a similar performance.
Quinton de Kock: After a poor start to the new season, De Kock has picked himself up nicely and put in performances that saw him rise to the top of batting charts for MI. In 14 matches, he has 492 runs to his name at an average of 37.84 and has the fourth-most runs in the overall list of top run-getters this season.
Harbhajan Singh: A strike bowler for CSK this season, Harbhajan has delivered whenever he has been given the ball. In just 8 matches, Bhajji has 13 scalps to his name at a brilliant economy rate of 7.15. He will hold key to the team’s success again as they host Mumbai in Qualifier 1.
Faf du Plessis: The South African has hit the form at the right time, having slammed a 97-run knock against Kings XI Punjab in the final league fixture. Although he couldn’t inspire his team to a win despite an inning of such magnitude, he is expected to fire again as MI arrive in Chepauk.
Probable XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir
Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga
