The complaints about the busy cricketing schedule may be aplenty, but that hasn’t stopped the IPL from resuming, after it was forced to be halted midway in April-May due to the surge in coronavirus cases in India. The remainder of the games will be played in the UAE. The second leg of the IPL kicks off with former champions Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
After a slow start to the season, both CSK and MI have since then stabilised their games and now sit second and fourth on the table. A win for CSK today will take them to the top of the table, while a win for MI will help them go one up and reach third place. A lot rests on the shoulders of both captains. Dhoni is the newly appointed mentor of India’s T20 squad, while Rohit is pipped to be the next captain of India’s T20I team. For CSK, the inclusion of Faf du Plessis is still doubtful. In his absence, Moeen Ali will mostly open the batting along with Gaikwad. MI are spoilt for choices and will all come to tactics on the Dubai pitch.
The fans are back in the stadiums once again, even though not in full capacity. New rules have come into effect for the second leg of IPL 14. From stricter bio bubbles to new balls to be used every time a six is hit, it is going to be a tough time for organisers to ensure the safety of players since the T20 World Cup is just around the corner.
Chennai Super Kings Likely XI
R Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, S Raina, A Rayudu, R Jadeja, D Bravo, M Dhoni, S Thakur, D Chahar, I Tahir, l Ngidi.
Mumbai Indian Playing XI
R Sharma, Q de Kock, S Yadav, I Kishan, K Pollard, H Pandya, K Pandya, A Milne, J Yadav, T Boult, J Bumrah.
Players to watch for
Moeen Ali – Moeen Ali was in fine form during the India-England series. His batting abilities coupled with his bowling makes him an excellent all-rounder. With Sam Curran unavailable due to quarantine requirements, Moeen Ali will have to step up his all-rounder capabilities. He is also likely to open the batting along with Ruturaj Gaikwad due to the unavailability of Faf du Plessis. Moeen Ali vs Bumrah in the powerplay will be a contest to watch out for.
Rohit Sharma – There is a lot of spotlight on Rohit Sharma since Kohli decided to step down from his role as T20I captain. He will have a point to prove as he leads the first game following the break. Rohit was also in scintillating form during the England series, choosing to weather down the bowlers as he built his innings. He is one of India’s finest openers and will look to be right on the money against CSK.
CSK vs MI Dream 11 Team
Q de Kock, I Kishan, R Sharma (C), S Raina, R Gaikwad, R Jadeja, M Ali (VC), T Boult, J Bumrah, S Thakur, L Ngidi.
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