IPL 2020 UAE: MI vs CSK Preview, Predicted 11 and Top Players

MI vs CSK IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians take on Chennai Super Kings in the tournament opener as we look at the Preview, predicted 11 and top fantasy picks. 

Match Details:

IPL 2020 – MI vs CSK Match Preview:

The IPL festival is about to begin on the 19^th of September, and bouy our excitement level is on the peak. Since the nail-biting finale of IPL 2019 where Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by a barest of a margin of 1 run, a lot has happened in the cricketing world. 

To revisit, Team India were exited from another knockout game in an ICC event, England won their first-ever 50-over World Cup, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in December 2019, the IPL 2020 got postponed, the T20 World Cup 2020 got postponed, the IPL 2020 shifted to UAE, and MS Dhoni announced his retirement. 

We are now in Sep 2020, and this is the first time in IPL’s history that the Tournament would be played during this time period. So, after all the hurdle, IPL 2020 is successfully going to kick-off on Sep 19 with the Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings in Abu Dhabi. 

Both the teams have one of the best squads on paper, and if UAE pitches behave in a similar way as Chennai, then there is no stopping to the ‘Men in Yellow’. Meanwhile, the ‘Men in Blue’ have to rely on their strengths, and that is their bowling and captaincy. The match is also unique in a way that this would be the first time MS Dhoni would be taking the field after announcing his retirement from international cricket last month on August 15. 

IPL 2020 MI vs CSK Predicted XIs: 

For Mumbai Indians, the question would be the fourth overseas player. Either they play the Chris Lynn or Nathan Coulter-Nile. If they play Chris Lynn, then Dhawal Kulkarni comes in for Nathan Coulter-Nile. If they play Nathan Coulter-Nile then Ishan Kishan comes in for Chris Lynn. 

IPL 2020 MI vs CSK – Mumbai Indians Predicted 11:

Quinton de Kock (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan/ Chris Lynn, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Coulter-Nile/ Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah.

For Chennai Super Kings, the biggest question would be filling the void left by Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. Both were certain starters, hence, the combination might see two major changes. Our guess is CSK might play Shardul Thakur and Piyush Chawla for these two as there is no proper middle-order batsman to replace Raina. Of course, all this is assuming Deepak Chahar has recovered, and is fit to play the first match. 

IPL 2020 MI vs CSK – Chennai Super Kings Predicted 11:

Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Piyush Chawla, and Imran Tahir. 

Fantasy Picks:

This is the first match of IPL 2020, and players would be playing after a long gap. So, it is very difficult to predict the top performers. Nevertheless, let’s look at the top 3 fantasy picks in each category. 

Batsmen: Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis & Ambati Rayudu

Quinton de Kock has been in sublime since the stunning performance in IPL 2019. He is certain to open, and given his current form, he would be itching to start the tournament on fire. Moreover, with him being a Left-handed batsman, and all of CSK’s spinners turning balls into the left-handers, chances of De Kock performing well are high. 

Meanwhile, his countrymate, Faf du Plessis would find UAE’s pitches to be perfect as per his needs. He is not a big basher of the cricket ball, and is more suited to 150-160 kind of pitches. He is certain to play as the opener unless Deepak Chahar doesn’t recover, and CSK are forced to play a pacer in place of him. 

Ambati Rayudu, on the other hand, has had a horrible IPL 2019- A nosedive performance dip from IPL 2018. In Raina’s absence, he might play at number 3, and that could increase his responsibilities. He would be itching to perform, and set the tournament on fire.

All-rounders: Dwayne Bravo, Krunal Pandya & Ravindra Jadeja

The lack of a left-hander in the squad may prompt MS Dhoni to play Ravindra Jadeja as a floater. Apart from his bowling, Jadeja’s value could increase as a fielder and batsman. He is a certain pick for the all-rounder spot. 

Dwayne Bravo set the Tournament on fire in the opening match of IPL 2019 against the Mumbai Indians. The slow nature of the pitch and his death bowling make him a certain buy, and his attacking nature of batting down the order is an asset.

Over the years, Krunal Pandya has developed into a full-fledged all-rounder for Mumbai Indians alongside Hardik Pandya. While Hardik’s bowling is suitable for pacey wickets, Krunal’s bowling is more suitable for slow & spinning tracks. That’s why Krunal’s selection is a must one against CSK. 

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar & Imran Tahir

Jasprit Bumrah is a default pick for any fantasy team. You just don’t want to miss out on his valuable 4 overs as 80-90% of the time, he would get you those valuable points. Given the spinning nature of the pitch, Rahul Chahar and Imran Tahir are not to be missed out in the playing 11. Their leggies would be very valuable, and their 8 overs are most-likely to give you good points. 

Captain & Vice-Captain Pick: Imran Tahir and Quinton de Kock 

Thanks for reading! Who do you think would win the first match of IPL 2020 between MI and CSK? Please, share your thoughts on business@cricalytics.com

ALSO READ: IPL 2020 UAE: Top 5 Most Consistent Batsmen in the history of IPL

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Adesh Kothari

Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics with over 20 years of experience following Cricket.

Cricket to him is like what Football is to Lionel Messi, Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar, Dancing is to Michael Jackson, and Acting is to Clint Eastwood.

Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.