Chennai Super Kings are preparing to take on Mumbai Indians in one of the most intense rivalries in the league on Saturday in Chennai. Both teams carry a rich legacy, having lifted the trophy five times each, but this season has been highly disappointing. They are struggling in the lower half of the table, searching for consistency.
Mumbai Indians are under huge pressure. They have two wins from eight matches, with their campaign hanging by a thread. The absence of Rohit Sharma and a wrist injury to Quinton de Kock have forced the team to constantly reshuffle their opening pair.
However, Ryan Rickelton, who seized his opportunity with a remarkable unbeaten 123 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, now has the highest individual score by a Mumbai batter in the tournament’s history. With Rohit still on the road to recovery, Mumbai are likely to persist with Rickelton alongside Will Jacks at the top.
Meanwhile, players like Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav have been unable to make any impact. Jasprit Bumrah’s form has been surprising, as he has not been at his usual best. Chennai Super Kings have had the same fate. Their campaign has been impacted by inconsistency, starting with three consecutive losses before bouncing back with two wins. Since then, they have again found it difficult to maintain a steady run. Still, CSK will draw confidence from their earlier clash against Mumbai this season, where they secured a commanding 103-run victory.
Head-to-head
Matches - 40
CSK won - 19
MI won - 21
CSK probable XII: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Noor Ahmad
MI probable XII: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya (c), Tilak Varma, Robin Minz, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar