🏏IPL 2025,M 38 CSK vs MI on Apr20th.7.30PM @Wankhede Stadium,Mumbai🏏 - Page 2

Quotes

"This pitch has been a little bit more high-scoring this year. So that's the first thing we look at. But the greatest thing for us is to adapt to whatever it is on the day."

Home or away, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming can't avoid questions on the conditions.

"If it is going to be a slightly slower wicket like last game, we know he's going to be a challenge. You've got to be quite smart against him. If he gets on a roll, he's pretty tough to stop. As we've seen, he has bowled extremely well."

MI's Mitchell Santner is aware of the threat his former Texas Super Kings team-mate (at MLC) Noor Ahmad can pose

Thank you, Soni, for the thread and for tagging me.

MI vs CSK Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter of the Match: Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has not set the stage ablaze as yet in IPL 2025, but he has managed to score 265 runs in seven matches at an average of 44.17 and a strike rate of 151.43. He looked in good touch in the last game, scoring 26 off 15 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes. India's T20 captain will look to play a big knock on Sunday in the highly-anticipated clash.

Probable Best Bowler of the Match: Noor Ahmad

Noor Ahmad has been the standout bowler for CSK this season. He has picked up 12 wickets from seven games at an average of 14.25 and a strike rate of 12, currently sitting at the top of the IPL 2025 Purple Cap list. Noor's four-over spell is going to be an important factor on Sunday against the aggressive MI batters.

Scenario 1

• Mumbai Indians win the toss and bowl
• PP Score - 50-60
• CSK - 170-190
• Mumbai Indians win the match

Scenario 2

• Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl
• PP score - 50-60
• MI- 175-195
• Chennai Super Kings win the match

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Big picture: CSK's hopes starting to fade

Had either of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) had a result or two not go their way in the last few days in IPL 2025, the "El Clasico" narrative of this rivalry would have turned into "L Clasico". CSK managed to break their five-match losing streak and will look for another win on the road, against MI, on Sunday evening.

If results from nearly a month ago still instill some sort of confidence, CSK could have a feel-good factor in how they had won at home last month at the start of the tournament, but MI have since got back Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah to their side.

MI themselves had been grappling with two losses at the start of IPL 2025 but have picked themselves up in all facets of the game to win both at home and away, on different kind of surfaces, and batting first and chasing. Barring Rohit Sharma, whose form continues to be a concern, their top order has started scoring freely, their middle order is hitting boundaries at a good clip, and the all-international bowling attack has started to function like a well-oiled machine, as was seen in their last game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

CSK, despite beating a strong LSG side, are still trying to put their pieces together with several players still far from at their best, which has forced their think tank to look to younger options, as head coach Stephen Fleming said on match eve. After a strong bowling performance against LSG that would ease some of their worries before walking out at the Wankhede, CSK will now hope their batting steps up.

Originally posted by: SoniRita

Preview

Circa 2024: Hardik Pandya to MS Dhoni - 19.3 6, 19.4 6, 19.5 6, 19.6 2. Dhoni smashes 20 off the last four deliveries and CSK finish with 26 in the final over. There was Dhoni mania in the stands. Rohit Sharma comes out and hammers a century to raise MI hopes. The home team still loses. The CSK win margin was exactly the runs scored by Dhoni off the four deliveries he faced. One of the classics of IPL 2024.

Cut to present and, same teams and virtually same players. MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin... and the Wankhede. The El Clasico of the IPL season is here. More often than not, this has been one of the marquee clashes of the season. But this year, it may not exactly live up to the hype, hoopla and billing of a MI-CSK contest.

At the halfway stage of the league, Chennai Super Kings' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. They are still technically in contention, but it's only a mathematical possibility. With just two wins from seven matches, they languish at the bottom of the table. They need to win at least six - if not all seven - of their remaining games. In short, they need nothing less than a miracle.

"It's a delicate phase, isn't it?," a wry Stephen Fleming, coach of CSK, admitted rather disappointingly. "Unfortunately the position we find ourselves in, we have run out of time to be too patient on the other hand. We've got eyes on the season, but we've also got a little bit of a look forward, making sure that we are developing players for the future and that might be the second half of the season, if it doesn't go well over the next couple of games."

"Our results to date have brought all the squad members into play. It's been our tradition in the past to stick with more experienced players and they've given us the results that we were after." CSK and Fleming have not exactly given up hope, but it feels like they're shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Mumbai Indians are not in a much better position either - they have managed just one more win than CSK and have lost more games than they have won so far. However, with Bumrah, Suryakumar, and Hardik hitting form, they can still hope for a turnaround in the second half of the season.

For a turnaround to happen, Mumbai Indians will need their talisman, Rohit, to step up. The former captain has started showing signs of his true form, particularly during his brief but impactful innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede. Although he faced just 16 deliveries, he still made his presence felt with a typically swashbuckling 25. With a few more overs at the crease in the upcoming games, MI's campaign could be back on track. Unlike the pitch for the SRH game, the surface for Sunday night's contest is expected to favor the batters, and Rohit should thrive in these conditions. An MI resurgence is difficult but not impossible.

Thanks for the tag Soni!

CSK embodies the statement too late too little this season.. to me they are already out of the season with more worthy contenders with better net run rates. it will be an itv-ish miracle if they make it to the playoffs aur asal zindagi mein miracles nahi hote *shrugs*

MI is not in a better position either but yeah they are known to be phoenixes so I will not write them off .. not for another 2 games at least.

expecting an high octane game though!

Thanks for the tag Soni.

May the best team win.

Cheers..

Thanks for the tag Soni

Thanks for the tag soni

Looking forward to win atleast one badge

Originally posted by: mushat

Thanks for the tag soni

Looking forward to win atleast one badge

Mereko koi umeed nahin koi badge nahin milne wala abh can try..

Hope you get one soon