Battered and bruised CSK’s last chance at redemption against red-hot Mumbai Indians

The finalists of the 2019 season of the IPL will face off in a very different context. The Chennai Superkings are on the brink of elimination. Although numerically they would still be in with a shout even if they endure the wrong side of a result tonight against the Mumbai Indians, Chennai of 2020 are a very different team from the 2019 runners-up. The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will be keen to maintain their position as one of only 3 teams to not lose more than 3 games in the tournament, and a positive result tonight would take them to the top of the table.

The fortunes of the Chennai Superkings and that of MS Dhoni have an uncanny resemblance. A team full of players who are past their prime, only a few sprinkles of young talent has not blended in as smoothly as Chennai would have hoped. Dhoni has struggled to emulate his fearsome aura and so have the Super Kings. Dhoni has been unable to shake off the rust of an off-season and so has his team. With only 4 more chances left in the tournament to redeem themselves, Chennai find themselves in an unfamiliar position for the first time in their IPL history - last on the points table, wiggling away, unable to fight their way out of the situation.

Dwayne Bravo’s groin injury which has ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament has dealt another blow to the Superkings. If the team in Yellow are to harbor any hopes of winning enough games to pip their competition to the fourth spot, however unlikely it may seem at this moment, they will need their captain to fire. MS Dhoni’s tally of 164 runs from 9 innings at a strike rate of 125 is not what Dhoni would want to be remembered for in the twilight of his career.

Their opponents for the night, the Mumbai Indians appear to be a well-oiled machine who have consistently stuck to their task. Despite the availability of a large squad, they have only used 13 players to date across 9 matches which is a fair indication of a settled and steady ship that Mumbai are. Kieron Pollard rediscovering his impactful self late down in the order has given the Mumbai batting a refreshed look, easing the pressure on their top order. Pollard’s 208 runs in the tournament have come at a strike rate of exactly 200, and has instilled fear in the opposition and confidence in the Mumbai ranks.

The only game Mumbai have so far lost in the Dream11 IPL 2020 without the game going into a Super over was against the Chennai Superkings in the curtain-raiser of the season. Since then, the two teams could not have taken more opposite paths. Sharjah has settled into a more of 170-180 ground despite its size, owing to the track taking turn after the initial few run-fests. To imagine a CSK vs MI game to have a definitive favorite and an underdog in the past would have been an error, but in 2020 that no longer seems to be the case.