After suffering a defeat in their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians (MI) will return home to take on their arch-rivals from the south, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in their second fixture of IPL 2023. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni’s Super Kings have had a mixed start to their campaign, having won and lost one game each so far. However, it will be a tricky match for them to face the most decorated side, especially as MI comes back from a loss.
The two cricketing giants will battle it out at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 8, in the second double-header of the tournament. MI will aim to earn their first points, while CSK will be looking to win their second consecutive match. The match will be telecasted live on Star Sports Network and JioCinema at 7:30 PM IST.
The Wankhede Stadium’s surface is known to favor the batsmen, and with both teams boasting lethal batting line-ups, a high-scoring encounter can be expected. The pitch is flat and hard, making it easier for the batters to score runs quickly. The quick outfield of the ground will also work in favor of the batsmen. The team that wins the toss is likely to choose to bat first.
Here are the probable playing XIs for the two teams:
Mumbai Indians (MI): Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jofra Archer, Arshad Khan
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shivam Dube, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, RS Hangargekar
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in excellent form for CSK, having scored two half-centuries in the tournament so far. He is the leading run-scorer in the top-tier league and will be looking to continue his purple patch against MI. Jofra Archer will be MI’s probable best bowler and will look to put a dent in the CSK batting line-up with his hard-hitting pace.
In the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct, Chennai Super Kings are predicted to win the match. However, readers are advised to consider the points mentioned and make their own decision while predicting the outcome of the match.
