Finally, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is set to begin from the 19th of September with the match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. The outbreak of the coronavirus had ended all the hopes of the hosting of the series but the sport has found its way amid the pandemic.
However, IPL 2020 is not being played in India because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. But BCCI has taken the entire league to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The whole 53 days long league will be played there in three venues- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
The much-awaited season opener will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. So, let us have a look at how the pitch and weather will look like there.
IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: Pitch Report
The pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is understood to be slowish and spin-friendly. So, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will include those batsmen or bowlers in the final XI who master a spin. CSK has Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja as two main spinners while MI has spinners Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya in their squad
A target above 150 would be enough to put the opposition under pressure and could be easily defended.
IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: Weather Report
Several players, including AB de Villiers, have shown concern over the hot and humid temperatures in the UAE. The heat might be a hurdle for bowlers as well as batsmen to be consistent during the IPL 2020.
But fortunately, the matches are scheduled in the evening which a great relief for the players. Throughout the day, the temperature is expected to go as high as 41 degrees celsius but it will come down to around 31 degrees.