The Sunday Mail
MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians, two most successful teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will today fight for supremacy in the final to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Mumbai Indians, who outplayed Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier, will go into IPL 2019 final as favourites.
Moreover, Chennai Super Kings, who will be locking horns with Mumbai Indians for the fourth time in the ongoing IPL, are yet to beat their familiar foes this season. However, statistics count for little going into the title fight with both teams being in the situation before multiple times.
Mumbai Indians can certainly take confidence out of the fact that they have won three out of the four finals they have been part of, including the two against CSK in 2013 and 2015. For three-time champions CSK, who enter their eighth final, it has been another remarkable season after last year when they made a triumphant return having serving a two-year suspension. Whatever the outcome may be, the final in Hyderabad will add another memorable chapter to their longtime rivalry.
With the World Cup beginning right after the IPL, the league had additional significance for tainted Australian stars — Steve Smith and David Warner- who made a successful return after serving out one-year bans for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Mumbai Indians have dealt with CSK’s spin threat smartly while other teams’ batsmen struggled against the experience trio of Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. CSK pacer Deepak Chahar too has been impressive with 19 wickets so far.
Mumbai, on the other hand, will be well rested following a four-day break and backing themselves for a fourth win over Dhoni’s side this season and fourth IPL title. – Sports.NDTV
