CSK will look to end its three-match winless streak against MI

CHENNAI: It’s time for the second instalment of IPL’s El Clasico this season. Chennai Super Kings triumphed in the first by a handsome margin, but Mumbai Indians is a completely transformed unit from the pasting it received at the Wankhede Stadium on April 8.

Shaking off its forgettable start to the new season, the Rohit Sharma-led side has strung together a nice sequence of wins to occupy the sixth position in the table with 10 points from nine games. And on the last two occasions these behemoths clashed at Chepauk in a pre-pandemic world, Mumbai came up trumps at a venue where most other visiting teams leave with their reputation sullied and egos bruised.

In contrast, Chennai is on a three-match winless streak and with the league phase drawing to a close, it will look to assure itself of a play-off berth. The four-time champion can take comfort in the knowledge that it has two more home games to follow against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, teams that it would expect to get four points against.

Chennai’s bowling spearhead Deepak Chahar was back in action in the previous game against Lucknow Super Giants after sitting out six matches through injury, and although he proved a tad expensive in the death overs, being back at Chepauk should perk him up.

Chennai ended up losing its last home match against Punjab Kings despite scoring 200, and it would want its bowlers to put on a better show. It will be interesting to see if Mitchell Santner gets to play ahead of Maheesh Theekshana, as the latter hasn’t made a telling impact expected of him. In batting, Devon Conway has been the standout performer piling up a mountain of runs at the top and he would look to continue the rich vein of form.

Mumbai, meanwhile, would be concerned about Rohit not being himself, but what should gladden it is how Suryakumar Yadav is back doing what he does best: unnerving the opposition with his 360 degree strokeplay.

Ishan Kishan, too, played a priceless knock against Punjab in the company of Suryakumar in its last match on Wednesday. Mumbai’s batting bears a formidable look with Tim David and Tilak Varma coming up with substantial contributions. Asked if Mumbai factored in the ‘spin’ threat, Kishan asserted his team is prepared for any conditions. “If the ball is there to be hit, we’ll go for it because in T20 cricket, you just need one or two good overs. We know they (CSK) have got plenty of spinners in their side. Having played so many years of IPL, we know how the wicket is going to play in Chennai, so we are ready.”

He also highlighted the significance of a good start and said, “I think it’s imperative that you need a good start when you’re chasing a big total. You need your powerplay to be good. It is important not to let the bowlers dominate and instead put pressure on them,” he observed.

In its last two matches, Mumbai chased down totals in excess of 200, but its bowlers, apart from Piyush Chawla, have been too generous in leaking runs. The Chennai batters would look to capitalise on that glaring flaw come Saturday.