After a long break and some much-needed rest, Mumbai Indians are back in action in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 on Friday. MI will be taking on defending champions and table toppers Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The boys will be looking to strengthen our position in the top-four playoff spots by beating CSK for the second time this season. That’ll be easier said than done though considering Chennai’s strong home form. MI also need this win to bounce back from a loss on their last outing, while CSK will be targeting a sixth consecutive win at home in front of their fans.  

Head-to-head

MI 14-11 CSK

Form Guide (Last 5 Games)

Mumbai Indians: L W W L W

Chennai Super Kings: W L L W W

From the MI dugout

MI have won three of their five away matches so far and will be confident in their ability to do a league stage double over CSK. Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma have consistently given us flying starts and are one of the main reasons behind us averaging 8.45 runs per over in the power play. Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya have been our main men in the middle order and are amongst two of the top five batsmen – who have faced a minimum of 100 balls – with the best strike rates this season. Their brute strength has been crucial to us accelerating in the slog overs, while their contribution in the field and with the ball cannot be undermined either. Our leading wicket-taker Jasprit Bumrah is also likely to cause headaches for CSK’s batsmen on the Chennai pitch with his variations.

Key Player

Rahul Chahar has been a revelation for MI this year and will relish bowling on CSK’s traditionally slow wicket which is known for helping spinners. Second only to Bumrah in the wicket-taking charts with nine scalps, Chahar has taken six wickets in his last two games. The 19-year-old has been bowling with supreme confidence and could even open the bowling for us against CSK, just like he did against Delhi Capitals. Even though Chahar is unlikely to be our sole frontline spin option on Friday, the youngster is expected to have a big impact on the contest.

From the CSK dugout

The defending champions are practically through to the playoffs and will know that a win over MI will guarantee them a spot in the top-two. Arguably the most balanced side in the league, CSK have won all their matches at home so far and will be eager to beat MI having lost to us by 37 runs earlier in the season. They have a fairly settled playing XI with Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson opening the batting, while Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav are entrusted in their middle order. All-rounders Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and spin wizard Imran Tahir adds variety to their batting as well as bowling. Deepak Chahar, who boasts the third best economy rate (6.89) in the league, has also been a good find for CSK this year.

Key Player

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni is their leading run-scorer (314) this season and will be their key man on Friday. Dismissing Dhoni early will be crucial to our chances of victory, given the Indian legend’s wonderful form of late. He’s averaging a mind-boggling 104.66 in IPL 2019 and has a strike rate of 137.11. Dhoni’s consistency is a definite cause for concern, making it imperative that we introduce our wicket-taking bowlers to the attack as soon as he walks out to bat.