The 2021 Indian Premier League is set for a blockbuster return as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings take on Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians in Dubai. The IPL returns to the United Arab Emirates roughly a year after the country hosted the entire tournament amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second leg of the season will also see fans returning to the stadium for the first time in the tournament since 2019.
In their previous clash -- which was also their last game of the season before the suspension of first leg -- Mumbai Indians put out a stunning performance to beat MS Dhoni's side on the final delivery of the match. Kieron Pollard (2/12 & 87* off 34 deliveries) was the star of the game as MI chased a 219-run target.
As both the sides meet each other, let's take a look at the CSK vs MI Dream11 Predictions, Probable Playing XIs and squads of both the sides.
DREAM11 CSK vs MI TEAM:
Wicketkeeper: Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock joins the Mumbai Indians camp with an excellent form, having struck two half-centuries in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. De Kock and Rohit Sharma form an effective opening pair and they gave the Indians a good start in their last game against the Super Kings.
Batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad
IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians (MI) full schedule, squad, venue and timings in IST
Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been consistent performers for their sides in the tournament so far. Rohit and Suryakumar in particular have been the 'Mr Dependables' for MI this season and will hope to continue on their good run for the rest of the tournament..
With a likely absence of Faf du Plessis, Raina and Gaikwad will bear significant responsibility in providing the CSK with a strong start.
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali
Jadeja can seemingly put no foot wrong at the moment. The all-rounder's performances in both -- the CSK and Team India have been thoroughly consistent. England's Moeen Ali has also been a find for CSK at number three, as the left-handed batsman has fulfilled his power-hitting role with efficiency in the first leg of the tournament.
Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Rahul Chahar
IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) full schedule, squad, venue and timings in IST
Deepak Chahar has been Chennai Super Kings' strike bowler and is currently their second-highest wicket-taker in the season behind Sam Curran. With the English bowler likely being unavailable for the MI game, CSK will pin their expectations on Chahar for early breakthroughs.
Trent Boult, meanwhile, enjoyed a brilliant outing in the IPL in UAE last year and along with Bumrah, forms a deadly pair. Among spinners, Mumbai Indians have a key bowler in Rahul Chahar who has, on many occasions, made inroads with key dismissals.
PREDICTED PLAYING 11
Chennai Super Kings: Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar
Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Adam Milne, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult
PITCH REPORT
Dubai International Stadium offers a moderate pitch with slightly longer boundaries than many other stadiums in the country. The deck is expected to go slower as the game progresses. 158 has been the average first innings score, and the IPL, it further comes down to 144. In the previous season, most captains had opted to bowl first in Dubai.
WEATHER UPDATES
The conditions will be sunny and dry throughout the day and temperature will be around 30 degree celsius during the evening, when the match takes place. There are no predictions for thunderstorms or rain. Dew could play an important factor towards the second innings, however.
LIVE STREAMING
You can see the IPL 2021 CSK vs MI Live Streaming Online on Hotstar and JIOTV, and TV Telecast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, and Star Sports HD channels.
