CSK vs MI Rohit vs MSD: Match Preview, Pitch Report, Prediction and Players to Watch

Rohit Sharma's troops keen to make a mark in away games

Over 12 years of IPL, the Mumbai-Chennai rivalry has probably been the most anticipated and well contested one. When one team is on a roll the other has the arsenal to stop that flow. Three-time IPL champions, CSK and MI are set to clash at Chepauk which has literally been a fortress for the Dhoni-led side.

CSK have won all 5 games at the MA Chidambaram stadium and are placed handsomely at number 2 in the points table. Shane Watson's return to form was a welcome sign for the management as the big-hitting batsman made a blistering 96 in their match against Sunrisers. Watson had after the game said that he would have been dropped from any side for below-par show but CSK set up allowed him an expressive environment.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming has earlier clarified that the men in yellow aim to finish in the top 2 so that they get an extra shot at the IPL trophy. They are unlikely to change the 11 that beat Sunrisers the other day. Sam Billings has left for England and Mike Hussey confirmed there were no injury concerns.

While Mumbai has an astute and clever cricketing brain in skipper Rohit Sharma, the timely performances from the Pandya brothers has ensured the team balance remains intact. The pace attack led by Bumrah demolished the CSK batting in their last clash at Wankhede but given Chepauk's history, spinners will play a critical role.

Head to Head: The 2 teams have played each other 27 times, Mumbai have won 15 of those clashes while CSK have come up trumps on 12 occasions.

Stats to Ponder

1. Hardik Pandya has an average of 42 in the death overs and has been striking at 207.9 in this phase in nine innings.

2. Raina needs one more fifty to bring up 50 fifties in T20s and one more catch to get to 100 catches in the IPL.

3. Dhoni is one big hit away from 200 sixes for Chennai Super Kings.

The MVPs

Quinton de Cock – The South African Wicketkeeper has been excellent with the willow for Mumbai at the top of the order and is coming into the game with 4 consecutive 30 plus scores. But he has been found wanting against spin where his strike rate falls alarmingly. Bhajji could flight some early on and buy a priced scalp with that luring loop.

Imran Tahir - hir has taken 16 wickets and is the highest wicket-taker for CSK. But Dhoni has not used him in the death. While Putting him against Hardik Pandya could be risky, it could also turn out to be equally rewarding if the leggie gets one to grip and bounce on the favourable Chepauk track

Pitch and Weather

The pitch at Chennai is slow and spinners get a lot of purchase from the track. Both teams boast of impressive spin options who could decide the result. The humidity will be on the higher side with the numbers extending up to the 79 per cent mark.

Probable XI:

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Imran Tahir

Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Kieron Pollard, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Suryakumar Yadav, 8 Rahul Chahar, 9 Jason Behrendorff, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Lasith Malinga

Broadcast details

Timing – 8 pm

Venue – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Where to watch – Star Sports 1/1HD/1 Hindi/1HD Hindi/1 Tamil/1 Telugu/1 Kannada/1 Bangla/Select 1/Select 1HD. Online viewers can catch the action live on Hotstar.