18:18(IST)
With Indian Premier League set to begin with a blockbuster clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, eyes will certainly be on Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma whose form will be key for the home team. Rohit is Mumbai Indians’ leading run-scorer in the IPL with 3037 runs at an average of 33.37 and a strike rate of 130.67. He’s significantly ahead of the next most-prolific batsmen (Rayudu and co.): 1. 3037 – Rohit Sharma 2. 2416 – Ambati Rayudu 3. 2343 – Kieron Pollard 4. 2334 – Sachin Tendulkar 5. 1079 – Lendl Simmons. Against CSK, ‘Hitman’ Rohit has managed to score 535 runs at an average of 28.15 and a strike rate of 124.12. A look at the leading run-scorers against CSK. 1. 706 – Virat Kohli. 2. 535 – Rohit Sharma. 3. 492 – R Uthappa. 4. 480 – Shane Watson. 5. 448 – Shikhar Dhawan. It’s noteworthy that Rohit’s average against CSK is lower than his IPL average (28.15 against CSK versus 32.61 overall) as well as his strike rate (124.12 against CSK versus 130.89 overall). At the Wankhede against CSK, Rohit has been prolific: o He’s scored 274 runs in 6 matches against CSK at this venue at an average of 54.80 and a strike rate of 145.74. o He’s passed 30 four times in 6 innings and gone on to make a fifty thrice. o This includes an 87 in 2011 that’s the second-best score by an MI player against CSK in the IPL (Jayasuriya made 114* at the Wankhede in 2008). The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony. MI appear to face an arduous task against the star-studded Chennai side, led by their charismatic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is back at the helm following the team's two-year ban in 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons along with Rajasthan Royal
18:13(IST)
18:13(IST)
Chennai Super Kings’ chief coach Stephen Fleming categorically dismissed perception that they have picked a bunch of "spent" players, saying it's the experience which he counts the most. CSK, returning to the IPL after serving a two-year suspension period, have players in their mid-30s such as captain MS Dhoni, Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo. I'm not sure when a young player came out and was the top run-scorer. You get some exceptions, like Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Washington Sundar. But there's only a handful, whereas experienced players play major parts in the whole tournament, so that's why I value experience," Fleming said on the eve of their match against Mumbai Indians. There's also about the quality of player, like (Dwayne) Bravo is still competing well, (Shane) Watson's competing well, Harbhajan (Singh) has great skill sets and Dhoni is a fine leader. So the players we've picked, I don't think they're spent by any means. It's a year-by year proposition and this year I think they look very good, the New Zealander asserted. Fleming said the chance to renew their rivalry with Mumbai Indians is the best possible start for them as they rejoin the IPL after two years. I think we've prepared well. (It's) just a lot of nerves around, but no more than normal. Players want to get into it and we've had the best part of 12 days leading into the competition. The general feeling is we're just ready to go. It's a great rivalry (CSK and MI) and this is what the competition needs. We couldn't have asked for a better game to start with. A game of this intensity at this ground is always a thrill. So the players are excited about it, he added. The two teams had last met in the final of the 2015 edition which went in favour of MI after which CSK were suspended for two years. CSK, led by India's 2011 World Cup-winning skipper Dhoni has found MI a hard nut to crack at their den here and Fleming acknowledged the huge challenge his star-studded side faced. It's hard to win just as we are also hard to beat in Chennai. And that's an aspect of successful teams. They defend their home patch well. Great challenge for us to start, wouldn't have wanted it any other way, said the former New Zealand skipper. Confirming that South African captain Faf du Plessis won't play tomorrow due to his finger injury, Fleming welcomed the introduction of DRS in IPL. "DRS, if it's used properly is positive. If it can help the game get the bad one right, then it's a good thing, he said
18:11(IST)
Returning to the fray after serving out a two-year suspension, two-time winners Chennai Super Kings will take on reigning champions Mumbai Indians in the lung-opener of the Indian Premier League here on Saturday. The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony. MI, led by Rohit Sharma, appear to face an arduous task against the star-studded Chennai side, led by their charismatic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is back at the helm following the team's two-year ban in 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons along with Rajasthan Royals. The visitors would surely like to begin their campaign with a bang against their arch-rivals in the latter's backyard. To give an extra dimension to the contest will be the sight of veteran offie Harbhajan Singh turning out in CSK yellows against a side which he served with distinction for ten long years. Mumbai will bank on their skipper Sharma, who has kept the number of his batting position under wraps for this game, but his role will be crucial. Rohit has showed that when he gets going then no bowling attack can stop him in the limited over formats and he would hope for a big knock in the first game to boost his and the team's confidence. Apart from him, they have a good batting-line up with the likes of West Indians Elvin Lewis and Kieron Pollard, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddesh Lad. The role of Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal as all-rounders will also be crucial. But this time Mumbai will miss the services of not only Harbhajan but also pacer Lasith Malinga as a player although the Sri Lankan continues his association with the hosts as their bowling mentor. Mumbai also have one of the finest death bowlers currently in the world in Jasprit Bumrah. Coach Mahela Jayawardane would expect other bowlers like Australian Pat Cummins, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman to deliver and aid Bumrah. Mumbai's spin department is inexperienced with young spinners Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy and Sri Lankan Akila Dananjaya expected to deliver the goods on a track expected to provide spin as well as bounce. On the eve of the game, MI skipper Sharma said that whichever team handles the pressure well, will come out victorious. The CSK and MI share a great bond and a great rivalry over the years. Again not expecting anything, it will be the same again, both the teams will be fighting very hard in that first game and whoever will absorb the pressure will win the game, Sharma said. Chennai, on the other hand, have a more settled team as they have retained their core players like Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. They also have other experienced players in Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, South African Faf Du Plessis, Sam Billings and Shane Watson to share the burden. On the bowling front, Harbhajan, Karn Sharma and Mumbai and India pacer Shardul Thakur are well versed with the conditions at the Wankhe
16:35(IST)
Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the opening game of the 11th edition of the IPL between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Defending champions Mumbai Indians and and two-time winners Chennai Super Kings, the most successful teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will begin the 11th edition of the Twenty20 cricket tournament with a mouthwatering clash at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday. Hosts Mumbai, who have laid their hands on the coveted crown thrice (2013, 2015, 2017) will be led by India opener Rohit Sharma who is the most successful captain in the cash-rich T20 league having led Mumbai to a treble of titles. But on Saturday, his wards will be up against a team who will be eager to re-establish their dominance after returning to the tournament following a two-year ban. CSK have a formidable track record in the IPL and have notched up the most number of appearances in the final. Apart from winning the title twice, they have finished runners-up on four occasions. Chennai are led by India's 50-over and T20 World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who will himself have a point to prove in his twilight days. The southern outfit has a formidable batting and bowling line up with the likes of Suresh Raina, back in the Chennai Super Kings yellow jersey, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis adding teeth to their batting. In the bowling department, England pacer Mark Wood and South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will lead the pace battery with veteran offie Harbhajan Singh and celebrated South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir taking care of the spin unit. For Mumbai, apart from Rohit, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, West Indies star Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandya have been retained from last year and are all a force to reckon with. The Mumbai pace bowling department is also promising this year with the likes of Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Mustafizur Rahman.
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