It will be a battle between two biggest heavyweights in Vivo IPL 12 when the three-time champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings meet each other in the Qualifier 1 of the tournament. Both the teams played some exceptional cricket in the league phase of the tournament to finish in the top two.
However, there is no denying the fact that Mumbai Indians will be a more confident unit especially due to the fact that CSK won only 2 of their last 6 matches which surely give them some headaches going into the playoffs.
Chennai Super Kings were literally thrashed by the Kings XI Punjab in their final group game. The batting department has lacked the venom and adaptability to score runs on a consistent basis. None of the openers including Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis has played a couple of exceptional knocks. Even against Punjab, du Plessis registered 96 which was instrumental in getting CSK over the 170 mark. However, both Watson and Du Plessis haven’t been consistent enough.
The middle order batters Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav has been woefully out of form and hasn’t managed to provide CSK with the much-needed impetus in the middle overs. The only batsman who has looked a class apart for CSK is none other than their skipper MS Dhoni who has been exceptional with the bat.
Even in the twilight of his career, MS Dhoni has proved why he is still regarded as one of the finest ODI batsmen of all time. He has led his team from the front and has the leading run scorer for the defending champions in this tournament. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, has played some great cricket in the final phase of the league stages which has ensured a top spot for them at the conclusion of the group stage.
The form of Hardik Pandya has been the talk of the season for the Mumbai Indians. While he has made headlines with his unbelievable hitting prowess, he has also been impressive with the ball. Hardik bagged the Man of the Match Award against the Kolkata Knight Riders solely due to his bowling efforts. Each and every role for MI has been covered well by the respective players.
Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock have provided good starts to MI on most occasions. In the middle order, Suraykumar Yadav has done a good job. The lower middle order consists of some power hitters in the form of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. In Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah, MI boasts of two best bowlers in limited overs cricket.
The spin department has been led admirably by youngster Rahul Chahar who has looked brilliant in the tourney. He has been supported well by Krunal Pandya as the left-arm spinner has controlled the game well in the middle overs.
The inclusion of Mitchell McClenaghan was beneficial for MI against KKR. However, the match slated to be played in Chennai where spin has played a big part all through the tournament, MI opt for an extra spinner in the form of either Mayank Markande or Anukul Roy.
Pitch Conditions:
The surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai has traditionally been on the slower side all through the tournament. The surface has offered some vicious spin and Chennai has managed to use the pitch to a good effect. In the latter half of the league stages, the franchises did manage to score some good runs. However, on a big ay like the Qualifier 1, the pitch might again be on the slower side. The team batting first might look to score something in excess of 150.
Weather Conditions:
There is no guesswork involved with predicting the weather in Chennai during the month of May It is is expected to be another hot and sultry day. The match is slated to start from 7 30 pm so the players will be a bit relieved. The temperature as expected will remain on the higher side. It is expected to hover around 333 to 37 degrees,
Match Prediction
In the league phase of the tournament, Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings in both the matches. Hence they will be a confident unit of registering their 3rd victory of the tournament against the Chennai Super Kings. I will go with Mumbai Indians to win the Qualifier 1 tomorrow against the Mumbai Indians.