Jamie Overton - Not a great start (to the tournament) but we got a win in the last game and hopefully we'll finish on the positive side in this one. I think the bowling guys kept us to a chaseable score and obviously MS came and did his things in the end (on the last game). I think we're moving in the right direction, we still have things to work on, but we're ready for today. It's difficult, I haven't played a lot in India, it's a difficult challenge. I think I played once in that T20 series (against India), looking forward to tonight. The way Sheikh (Rasheed) and Rachin (Ravindra) played last game was good for us, gave us a good start and gave a good platform for the middle-order. Not a lot of difference between Rutu and MS, they're both calm and composed characters, good to have MS incharge.
Pitch Report ft. Simon Doull and Michael Clarke: "We are back on pitch number 8. The dimensions are quite signficant - 60 meters on one side with a little breeze as well, 66 away to the Eastern side and 73 meters down town. 430 runs were produced last time a game was played on this pitch. It looks a little bit drier compared to what we saw on Thursday night, very similar grass covering in the middle of the wicket but these ends (near the fullish length) here are particularly drier. You might see little more spin. I thought it was a tiny bit tacky for the team batting first the other night, I don't think that is going to be the case today. It is a really good wicket. The perception here is you are going to get dew, so I would imagine both teams are look to chase. It is going to be a high-scoring pitch. Runs on the board are okay but dew does come in while batting second."
The recent results between these two sides are heavily skewed in favor of the Super Kings, 5-1 since 2022 and they will hope it is 6-1 by the end of the night as they need the two points more badly than the Mumbai Indians. Toss and teams coming up.. Stay tuned
Things have started to fall in place for the Mumbai Indians in the last two games and it has coincided with Bumrah's return to the team. The pacer has picked just 2 wickets in 3 games but his sheer presence has made that bowling line-up formidable. Rohit too seemed to be hitting the ball well in the previous game and if he finds his mojo then there's no stopping this Mumbai Indians team. MS Dhoni has led the Super Kings in the last two matches and there were some notable changes, Shaik Rasheed was given an opportunity up the order while Anshul Kamboj is partnering Khaleel with the new ball, they even left out the experienced Ashwin in the previous game. But it is their middle order which still does not look convincing, the likes of Tripathi and Shankar have to come to the party if Dhoni has to lead this team to the playoffs.
18:30 Local Time, 13:00 GMT: Hello and welcome to part 2 of Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings. Part 1 saw the Super Kings cruise to a rather comfortable win at Chepauk and we are at Wankhede for the second part. Lot has transpired since that first game; both teams endured a run of defeats and the Super Kings also lost their regular skipper to injury which brought MS Dhoni back to the helm. Mumbai Indians, after losing 4 of their first 5 games, are on a two game winning streak while the Super Kings ended their 5-match losing run with a victory in their previous encounter. So, both teams come into this fixture with a bit of momentum and only one can carry that forward. Who's it going to be?
Preview by Vijay Tagore:
Circa 2024: Hardik Pandya to MS Dhoni - 19.3 6, 19.4 6, 19.5 6, 19.6 2. Dhoni smashes 20 off the last four deliveries and CSK finish with 26 in the final over. There was Dhoni mania in the stands. Rohit Sharma comes out and hammers a century to raise MI hopes. The home team still loses. The CSK win margin was exactly the runs scored by Dhoni off the four deliveries he faced. One of the classics of IPL 2024.
Cut to present and, same teams and virtually same players. MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin... and the Wankhede. The El Clasico of the IPL season is here. More often than not, this has been one of the marquee clashes of the season. But this year, it may not exactly live up to the hype, hoopla and billing of a MI-CSK contest.
At the halfway stage of the league, Chennai Super Kings' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. They are still technically in contention, but it's only a mathematical possibility. With just two wins from seven matches, they languish at the bottom of the table. They need to win at least six - if not all seven - of their remaining games. In short, they need nothing less than a miracle.
"It's a delicate phase, isn't it?," a wry Stephen Fleming, coach of CSK, admitted rather disappointingly. "Unfortunately the position we find ourselves in, we have run out of time to be too patient on the other hand. We've got eyes on the season, but we've also got a little bit of a look forward, making sure that we are developing players for the future and that might be the second half of the season, if it doesn't go well over the next couple of games."
"Our results to date have brought all the squad members into play. It's been our tradition in the past to stick with more experienced players and they've given us the results that we were after." CSK and Fleming have not exactly given up hope, but it feels like they're shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Mumbai Indians are not in a much better position either - they have managed just one more win than CSK and have lost more games than they have won so far. However, with Bumrah, Suryakumar, and Hardik hitting form, they can still hope for a turnaround in the second half of the season.
For a turnaround to happen, Mumbai Indians will need their talisman, Rohit, to step up. The former captain has started showing signs of his true form, particularly during his brief but impactful innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede. Although he faced just 16 deliveries, he still made his presence felt with a typically swashbuckling 25. With a few more overs at the crease in the upcoming games, MI's campaign could be back on track. Unlike the pitch for the SRH game, the surface for Sunday night's contest is expected to favor the batters, and Rohit should thrive in these conditions. An MI resurgence is difficult but not impossible.
When: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2025, April 20, 19:30 IST
Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
What to expect: The pitch will be different from the one used in the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with the Wankhede expected to return to its usual, batter-friendly nature - a true belter. A high-scoring contest is likely, and the team winning the toss is expected to opt to field.
Head to Head: MI 20-18 CSK, with the home team leading 7-5 at the venue. Since 2022, it is 5-1 in favour of CSK. They had also won the first leg at Chepauk, the third match of the season. Since the start of the IPL 2021 second leg, CSK have won six out of seven games against MI, including each of the last four
Team News:
Mumbai Indians
Injury & Availability: Karn Sharma is a doubtful starter, having had stitches to his right thumb. The rest are available.
Tactics and match-ups: The pitch is expected to be a belter, which could suit the MI gameplan. They preferred a slower, more challenging surface against SRH to stifle their free-flowing batters, but the scenario is different with CSK, whose batters are not as explosive. Bumrah will be crucial in containing Rachin Ravindra, who is coming off an impactful innings vs SRH (37 off 22). Rohit Sharma will continue to play his role as the Impact Player.
Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur
Chennai Super Kings
Injury & Availability: No injuries. MS Dhoni, who was seen limping in some viral videos, batted at the nets. New recruits Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis have joined the squad.
Tactics & Matchups: Khaleel Ahmed has a good matchup with Rohit, Suryakumar, Hardik and Tilak Varma. R Ashwin, dropped for the last game, may come in as an Impact Player.
- Seven of Tilak Varma's eight 50-plus scores in the IPL have come in defeats, the most recent one vs DC being the exception. He has usually stepped up when the rest of the MI batters have struggled.
- Hardik has conceded 32 off the nine full deliveries he's bowled in Overs 16-20. Further breakdown: Three sixes off three full-tosses, four singles off four yorkers and a six and a four off half-volleys.
What they said:
"We'll have a look at the pitch today and see if there's any spin or anything, but we know CSK are a good outfit, even though they haven't been playing overly well or have been on the wrong side of a couple of ones, but we know they're a very good team and we've had some good battles over the years." - Mitchell Santner on his former employers in the IPL
"We are still in the competition but we are hanging on by the thread, trying to find a balance between giving the guys an extended run to show some form and also, wanting to get results. Unfortunately the position we find ourselves in, we have run out of time to be too patient. On the other hand, we don't want to keep chopping and changing, trying to find the magic formula, quite possibly our tournament has been that far." - CSK coach Stephen Fleming on the team's positioning in the league
Squads:
Chennai Super Kings Squad: Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni(w/c), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sam Curran, Deepak Hooda, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Dewald Brevis, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi, Ayush Mhatre
Mumbai Indians Squad: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar, Bevon Jacobs, Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh Puthur
Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai Indians
