The IPL 2023 tournament will see the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) facing off on May 6th at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This is the second time the two teams will compete against each other, and the first time CSK will play at home. In this blog, we will look at the head-to-head record, the probable playing XI, and the weather forecast for the match.
Head-to-Head Record: In the 33 games played between the two teams, MI has won 21 times while CSK has won 12 times. At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the two teams have played seven times, with MI winning four times and CSK winning three times.
Probable Playing XI: CSK is likely to replace Maheesh Theekshana with Mitchell Santner in their playing XI. There have been calls for MS Dhoni, the captain of CSK, to bat ahead of Ravindra Jadeja.
Probable XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner/Maheesh Theekshana, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi
MI may see the return of Hrithik Shokeen into their team, considering the number of left-handers in the CSK squad.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Weather Forecast: On match day, there could be some rainfall with the temperature hovering around 32°C. However, the sky is expected to be clear during noon.
CSK needs a win to get back on track as they have not won in their last three matches. A fourth straight loss may create panic in the team, especially with the playoff spots race intensifying. MI is high on confidence after successfully chasing targets of over 200 in their last two games. Suryakumar Yadav is in great form, and MI would hope that their skipper Rohit Sharma, who had a long session at the nets before the game, will end his lean run in style.
This contest will start the home run for the four-time champions MI, who will play their next three games at Chepauk. However, winning all three matches will not be easy despite their proud home record. This season, MI has already lost twice at this venue, and their head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that they are still trying to get used to the conditions as they have not played here often in recent years.
CSK has a chance to correct their record against MI at home, as they have not beaten them at the MA Chidambaram Stadium since their return in 2018. Winning two matches against their arch-rivals in a single season is a rarity for CSK.
The upcoming match between CSK and MI promises to be an exciting one. With the teams’ past record and the players’ form, the match could swing in either direction. CSK would aim to break their losing streak while MI would look to continue their winning momentum. It will be interesting to see how the two teams approach the game, and fans can expect a thrilling encounter.
