After a long wait of five-month Cricket festival and biggest League of the world, cricket IPL starts today on 19th September 2020 in sand land Dubai. Heat is on its champions vs champions MI vs CSK. “Thalas vs Amchi” who will win first pride battler Dhoni aka apna Mahi or Hitman Rohit.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) takes off on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, you can’t help but say ‘Thank God.’ IPL would be a much-needed diversion, well, at least for hardcore cricket fans, with the pandemic playing havoc and good news challenging to come by.
IPL’s elegance resides in its simplicity. Every match on the face of it is like a trip to an amusement park, except for a few damp squibs, which finishes quickly and gives immense excitement.
The opener, undoubtedly the ‘Clasico’ of the IPL, will pit defending champions Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings. The Purists may accuse me of blasphemy, but watching these two teams battling it out is very close to watching Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together on television. On show are strength, mutual respect, and loads of talent.
The ‘Fight of the Strongest’ aspect is what makes this dispute special. These two, with seven championships and 13 final appearances between them, pull up the League’s creme de la creme.
Battle of Champions in IPL:
But in the past, this time, there seems to be a definite favourite because there has been nothing to choose between the two outfits.
In the last five meetings, Rohit Sharma’s team has gotten the best of Dhoni’s men, and it is not for nothing. With their leads well past their sale by date, CSK is an ageing party. Consequently, they succumb to a well-oiled machine just like Mumbai Indians.
Will CSK find the right balance, after all, it is worst affect team of IPL due to COVID-19:
But Dhoni, Watson, and Bravo love to make journalists and naysayers eat their words-all are not to be clubbed together. But the fact is that these players will rely more on muscle memory than on shape, and that’s where the issue lies.
Add to that the absence of both assured starters Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh and CSK has a gaping hole in their arsenal. Mumbai Indians, too, are without Lasith Malinga but they still have to fall back on Jasprit Bumrah.
Mumbai Indians High on confidence and favourites too as a team is full of talents:
The batting of Mumbai Indians, with Captain Rohit leading the pack, is their stronger suit. Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock add muscle while Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan like to offer Indian talent of quality. This unit’s engine room is the Pandya brothers and can deliver the goods with both bat and ball.
Will experience of Mahi and Watto help CSK win the first Battle:
For the blitz, CSK will rely heavily on the duo of Watson and Dhoni. In the absence of Raina, Faf du Plessis could play the sheet anchor well, while Ambati Rayudu will have to step up. Bravo and Jadeja will provide the bat with the extra cover but the heavy lifting they can’t be required to do. A surprise or two could spring from Kedar Jadhav, fitness permitting.
With the ball in possession, Yellow Camp appears more in control. Imran Tahir and Jadeja are more than reliable with their spin while Deepak Chahar, now recovered, is expected to lead the pace attack with wily Bravo providing an able cast of support.
Dhoni also can punt on Lungi Ngidi, who will improve the efficiency of the speed attack manifold of CSK.
Bumrah will lead Mumbai’s bowling department, and he needs to be at his sharpest peak.
Rahul Chahar is a sound tweaker, and as Krunal Pandya is more in a protector’s room than an enforcer, he will have to pick up wickets. Trent Boult introduced to the squad, but Mumbai could go for the other Kiwi, the tried and tested Mitchell McClenaghan who was a franchise star.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Abu Dhabi pitch behaves, but if it’s a belter where the ball comes through the 40 overs to the bat, then the scales are heavily tipped in favour of its champions defending.
