Defending Champions Mumbai Indians are all set to commence their IPL campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 19th September 2020.

Both have an interesting history against each other, having clashed at the pinnacle of the tournament four times. It has been Mumbai Indians who have managed to have an upper hand, winning on three occasions, i.e. 2013, 2015 & 2019.

As IPL returns to its glory, we take you through some of the talking points ahead of the first encounter

MI's winning streak against CSK

Rohit Sharma and Co. have had an upper hand on MS Dhoni’s CSK in the previous five encounters. In 2019, MI beat CSK on all four occasions which includes a memorable win in the final of the tournament.

Both teams have overall clashed in 30 games out of which MI has recorded 18 wins.

Kieron Pollard in form

The all-rounder from Trinidad and Tobago was awarded the Man of the Tournament in the recently concluded CPL season. Kieron Pollard put up a magnificent show scoring 207 runs with his blade but also contributed with the ball, picking up eight wickets.

His game-saving 72 (28) with nine sixes was the highlight of the tournament. The finisher has a good record against CSK too.

WWWWWWWWWWWOW, Pollard! 🤩#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #CPL20 @KieronPollard55 pic.twitter.com/Fr8roMZtW1

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 11, 2020

Spin-friendly UAE

Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar will be at the forefront of the spin department for MI as the conditions in UAE are likely to assist spin. Rohit Sharma has a few other options in Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy and Prince Balwant Rai too.

4️⃣0️⃣ wickets for the Men in Blue and Gold so far👌

Can @krunalpandya24 hit a half-century with the ball in UAE this season?

Know more: https://t.co/gQOxlQvZ9H#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/CfIOBeuR7z

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 15, 2020

Despite Harbhajan Singh’s absence, CSK still has big names like Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir and Piyush Chawla in their ranks.

Opening combination

While there was a lot of debate surrounding the opening combination, Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene cleared the air in the pre-season press conference. Rohit and Quinton de Kock will be opening the batting this season.

While Quinton scored 529 runs in the previous season, Rohit registered 405 runs in the tournament.

🔥 Abhi mazaa aayega na, Paltan! 💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL @ImRo45 @QuinnyDeKock69 pic.twitter.com/Dvl5nn64bF

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 17, 2020

Fiery pace-attack for MI

Jasprit Bumrah is going to lead the bowling attack and is likely to be partnered by left-arm pacer Trent Boult. While Boult is the No.1 ODI bowler in the ICC rankings, Bumrah holds the No.2 position. Hardik’s efficiency with the ball is also laudable.

Besides the trio, MI has some great options in the fast bowling department. The likes of Mitchell McClenaghan, James Pattinson, Dhawal Kulkarni and Mohsin Khan add a lot of variety. Young prodigy Digvijay Deshmukh too serves as an option.

RT if you've been waiting for them to share the dressing room💥⚡#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #MI #Dream11IPL @Jaspritbumrah93 @trent_boult pic.twitter.com/q3YqqHwFMO

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 12, 2020

On the other hand, Deepak Chahar will be at the forefront of CSK’s bowling attack. Their bowling lineup has overseas options in Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi and Josh Hazlewood. Shardul Thakur alongside KM Asif are the Indian pace options.

IPL veterans to miss out

Lasith Malinga has been the highest wicket-taker in MI vs CSK games with a total of 37 scalps. His iconic final over last season helped MI seal a nail-biting win in the final. This season, Malinga is not a part of the squad.

In the opposition camp, the CSK batting order will be missing their most prolific batsman in Suresh Raina. His tally of 730 runs is the highest in MI vs CSK encounters. All eyes will also be on MS Dhoni who will be returning to action after more than a year. It would be interesting to see what position Dhoni comes out to bat.

Approaching milestones:

- Rohit is 102 runs away from completing 5000 runs in IPL.

- Rohit is also six sixes away from completing 200 sixes in IPL.

Players to watch out for:

Hardik Pandya: The hard-hitting all-rounder is returning to action after an extended phase away from the game owing to his back surgery and the lockdown. Hardik will be eager to be back on the field and display his versatility. Head Coach Mahela also mentioned that he was looking good at the nets.

Dhawal Kulkarni: It will be a home-coming for the Indian cricketer who returns to the MI unit after being a part of the franchise last in 2013. The right-arm pacer has a decent record in IPL with 86 wickets to his name. Returning from injury, Kulkarni will be willing to get back in action and get going.