Another breath-taking game will kick start when the Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians at Chepauk on Saturday. Chennai are a well-balanced side and would be looking forward to repeat the success story by winning their exciting opening match. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians who lost their opening game by just two runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), will be looking for opening their account on the points table. The only woe for Mumbai is that their match-winners are not looking in great touch which is not a good sign.

Here we bring before you the players who can put some great fight to make this fixture a breath-taking one.

Chennai Super Kings

Suresh Raina: Suresh Raina has always been the cornerstone for CSK and to win this title for the third time, they need him to continue his prolific run which he had carried through in the domestic cricket. Raina has been in form of his life in the past seven months and with every match he keeps getting better and better. Raina’s all-round skill adds variety to CSK bowling attack and it also allows MS Dhoni to play his tricks in the shortest format of the game. His ability to throw himself in the field makes him the most dangerous fielder of the CSK. He is all and all a trump card for the CSK to reach the play-offs.

Mike Hussey: Hussey took the retirement from all forms of the game in January but he wants to enjoy his journey with CSK. His ability to hold on the innings and make players play around him adds a load of strength to his team. He is called “Mr. Cricket” because of the contribution he makes to the team. Hussey is not just a good player but a good mentor too and always keeps motivating the youngsters on the field and gives them a piece of advice whenever they need it. As senior pro he comes very handy as he can take care of the players and reduce a great amount of burden from the shoulders of MS Dhoni.

Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja has been the star of the season and has contributed immensely in India’s win over Australia and in ODI’s against England. His accuracy has been his strength and add to that his wrong ones which straighten, makes him a very lethal bowler. Jadeja’s ability to strike frequently gives MS Dhoni some great sense of relief and he can rotate his other strike bowlers with much ease. He is honing his batting skills and can make some decent contribution in latter part of the innings. He is one of the best fielders that CSK has for covering the 30-yard circle. His lightning fast speed always a dangerous sign for the batsmen.

Ravichandran Ashwin: Ashwin has been in brilliant form of late and it will be interesting to see how he performs in this edition of IPL. He didn’t have a good stint in his last five T20 affairs but surely at Chepauk, he is an altogether different bowler.His ability to come up with good blend of deliveries makes him a lethal bowler who can run through the batting line-up in a matter of just one or two overs. Home conditions will surely be an added advantage for him and his handy batting skills can be of great use in tight matches.

Dirk Nannes: He has enjoyed his stint in the T20 matches. He is one of the most dangerous bowlers because of his streak smart bowling. His strength lies in mixing up the pace really well and to bowl the off cutters. He has picked up 210 wickets in the 176 T20s he has played till now and a smart captain in MS Dhoni would make the most of him.

Mumbai Indians

Sachin Tendulkar: Tendulkar started off really well but got run-out which turned to be a critical in the end. He was looking in a very good touch as he was dealing in boundaries. He ended up scoring 23 off just 19 deliveries. The Master has been the highest run-getter for Mumbai Indians and would be looking for a power packed performance on one of his favourite grounds. 

Dinesh Karthik: Dinesh Karthik played a brilliant knock of 60 runs off just 37 balls and tried his level best to keep the Mumbai Indians on a right track. His sensible batting made him the best player for Mumbai Indians in the opening affair. His ability to play those big shots at his own will makes him a cornerstone of Mumbai Indians middle-order, which lacks some experience when it comes to batting with patience.

Jasprit Bumrah: Bumrah had a dream debut in the opening match of Mumbai Indians as he ended up picking three crucial RCB wickets and gave away just 32 runs. His weird action will surely be giving a hard time to batsmen and add to that his ability to bowl with a sharp inward angle makes him much more deadly. His utility at death overs will be a crucial factor for Mumbai in the early stages of this season of IPL.

Keiron Pollard: Pollard didn’t have his share of luck in the first match and he ended up contributing very less in the opening T20. He bowled just one over and batted for just couple of deliveries. Under-using his ability as a player was the biggest mistake that Ricky Ponting made in the first match. At least promoting him higher up the order could have been done a lot of good. He has always been a match-winner for MI and a lot is expected from him when he plays on Saturday at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.

Ambati Rayudu: Rayudu can float in the batting order and can be the real threat to the opposition because of his ability to mould himself as per the situation. Rayudu has played some brilliant knocks in the past few editions and looks a promising player for this edition too. His ability to score those quick 30s and 40s will decide the fate of Mumbai Indians in the sixth season of Indian Premier League.

By Amit Chopra
Indian Sports News Network