The legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni will face defending champions Chennai Super Kings against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League in Mumbai on April 14, 2024), which could be his last game at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Dhoni returns to the hallowed grounds of Wankhede for the first time as a non-CSK captain in what could be his final season in the IPL. This will be his first appearance as a player for any team since November 2005.
Even at 42, Dhoni’s glovework remains impeccable and his appreciation of the game is as good as ever. But CSK will hope that his tactical acumen will help them improve their dismal record on the road this season, where they have already suffered two defeats.
CSKO will hope that their recent record against MI – four wins in their last five games, including seven in Mumbai last season – will keep them in good form.
The two most successful teams in the IPL have won 5 titles each, both sides have witnessed a structural change in leadership with Hardik Pandya taking over from MI’s Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad taking over from Dhoni at CSK but no signs of serious competition between them. Expect no such changes.
If anything, CSK’s bowlers could be battered by the furious MI batsmen, who chased around 200 in 4 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore and were bowled out for 230 against Delhi Capitals here on a flat pitch. inactive
Pandya’s MI have found their feet after a nervous start. Their batsmen have been in good form in the last two matches and Suryakumar Yadav’s 17-ball 50 against RCB was an ominous sign for the CSK bowlers, whose mettle remained untested on a flat, slow, spinning pitch they were exposed to in Chepauk. , batting-friendly surface.
So, the opening stand of Ishan Kishan (161) and Rohit is crucial to the overall plan, but CSK’s own batting can also offer a lot.
Skipper Gaekwad may not be a predator with the bat, but he can be a silent enforcer in a CSK line-up with the power of Rachin Ravindra at the top, Daryl Mitchell’s tenacity in the middle and Shivam Dube’s explosiveness (176), Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni in the death overs.
CSK will also be aware that it will be important to dismiss the versatile Jasprit Bumrah (10 wickets) and chase down the rest of MI’s bowling as others have struggled for points with their own line and length, losing stunning pace on a quiet surface.
Despite Bumrah taking 5 wickets, MI leaked runs at a high rate, taking RCB close to 200 runs a few nights ago.
CSK will rely heavily on Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande, both of whom are set to return to their home turf, but due to their recent performances, Mustafizur Rahman (9 wickets) and Dhurta Jadeja will be looked upon.
The team said “we want to score as many runs as possible”, but on the face of it, scoring around 220-230 while batting first might be the best way to ensure an upper hand at this venue.
Team (from):
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Karthikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwana Mafaka, Mohammad Nabi , Shams Mullani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Tushara, Tilak Verma, Harvik Desai, Nehal Vadra, Luke Wood.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Arabali Avneesh (wicketkeeper), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rashid, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dubey, RS Hungergekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Yadav Mondal, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra , Mitchell Santner, Nishant Sindhu, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhury, Mustafizur Rahman, Mathisha Pathirana, Simarjit Singh, Prashant Solanki, Shardul Thakur, Mahesh Thekshana, Sameer Rizvi.
The match will start at 7:30 PM (IST).
Tags: IPL17 CSK Dhoni takes center stage Chennai Super Kings Mumbai Indians usher era rivalry
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