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| Edited By: Khyati Gulani |Source: DNA web team |Updated: Sep 19, 2020, 12:57 PM IST
IPL 2020 is beginning from where it ended last year. In 2019, Mumbai Indians shattered the hearts of Chennai Super Kings for the third time as Rohit Sharma’s side got the better of MS Dhoni’s team by one run to win a record-breaking fourth IPL title. Now, one and a half years later, after delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma will square off not at the Wankhede or at Chepauk, but at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, IPL 2020 in it’s entirety will be played totally in the UAE.
This will be the second time that the entire IPL will be played in a different country, after the 2009 edition in South Africa. Things have been far from ideal heading into this edition. Apart from the now-common sight of having no crowds in a bio-bubble, the Indian players initially found the going tough after being in lockdown for six months. The Chennai Super Kings coronavirus episode gave a scare but the IPL managed to overcome that. After all the troubles, the opening game between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians is the ideal tonic for IPL 2020. Both the sides have match-winners in their squad. The greatest thing will be MS Dhoni who is making a return to cricket after 400 days. Time indeed flies!
.Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians suffered a jolt when Lasith Malinga ruled himself out of the tournament in order to attend to his sick father. Apart from that, there are few worries for Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma, the skipper, leads from the front and is one of the best openers in limited overs cricket. Then comes the likes of Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Surya Kumar Yadav, Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan, each capable of tearing the opposition bowling apart. They also have brilliant pace bowling options with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan and Trent Boult in the side.
Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C),Quinton De Kock ( WK ), Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Nathan Coulter-Nile, Surya Kumar Yadav
Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings initial days were throw into disarray with Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh withdrawing from the tournament, in addition to a few COVID infected staff members. They have a good combination of experienced and performance based players in their team. Age is just a number but their experience matters.
MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo are as good and sharp as any young cricketer going around and can influence the game. They have capable all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Kedar Jadhav and class in Ambati Rayudu. Their bowling department is balanced but veteran Imran Tahir, who recently had a magnificent CPL 2020 holds the key. Lungi Ngidi along with English all-rounder Sam Curran can pose some serious threat to the opposition.
IPL 2020 is a fresh start after the lockdown which stalled the world for a couple months. The pitches will be low scoring and the average score of 150-160 runs is a possibility. Playing cricket in a bio bubble without any fans might prove to be a deterrent when it comes to motivation but that’s the ‘new normal’.
The team with wickets in hand will have the edge. It could be a tight match, like the repeat of last year's final. By their absolute squad strength and depth, Mumbai Indians should crush CSK. But on the other hand, CSK coach Stephen Fleming is quite positive about inflicting a result thanks to Dhoni’s presence. But, it needs to be reminded that Dhoni is returning to cricket after almost 400 runs so he might be rusty.
One major drawback for Chennai Super Kings has been their preparations which have been impacted due to the coronavirus while Mumbai Indians have been on top of their preparations ever since they landed in UAE.
Also, Chennai Super Kings have not announced any replacements to Raina and Harbhajan. Right now their only options to fill Raina’s No.3 slot is either Rayudu, Jadhav or Murali Vijay. Mumbai Indians are without Malinga but their core is intact and stable, which gives them edge.
Disclaimer: Khyati Gulani is a former first-class cricketer from Delhi and she is now an accredited BCCI and Cricket Australia coach. She is also a cricket expert and she will be giving her views for DNA India during IPL 2020. Views are personal
