UAE

Life and Living

World

Opinion

Business

Sports

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Travel

Reviews

Brands

Supplements

KT Events

KT APPDOWNLOAD

Type your keywords

IPL 2023: Five key factors that could decide the game between two giants Mumbai and Chennai

With a history of epic battles between the two powerhouses, fans can expect another gripping encounter on Saturday

Read more...
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma. — PTI
by

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 5:41 PM

Chennai Super Kings got its campaign back on track with a home win against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.

Mumbai Indians, the Kings’ opponent in Saturday’s evening game, will look to draw inspiration from MS Dhoni’s team when the two IPL giants clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

With a history of epic battles between the two powerhouses in the IPL, fans can expect another gripping encounter on Saturday.

Advertising
Advertising

Here are the five key factors that could decide the game.

Rohit’s form

First things first, skipper Rohit Sharma needs to score big at the top of the order. A giant in the white-ball formats of the game, Rohit hasn’t really played those big innings regularly in any format since becoming India’s full-time captain. He doesn’t seem to be struggling for rhythm or timing, but it’s the failure of converting his starts into big scores that has troubled the Indian team. And it might trouble Mumbai Indians, too, this season in the IPL if Rohit fails to find his magic touch.

Onus on Archer

In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, the onus will be on Jofra Archer to carry the Mumbai Indians' bowling hopes. The England fast bowler has just returned from a long injury layoff. In the first game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Archer found Virat Kohli too hot to handle. But he is a world-class bowler capable of destroying any batting line-up in any format. Mumbai Indians will be hoping that the Barbados-born bowler finds his mojo soon.

Green’s all-round ability

Few young Australian players have aroused as much curiosity in recent years as Cameron Green. No wonder the hotshot all-rounder became the most expensive Australian player in the history of IPL when Mumbai Indians bought him for a staggering $3.15 million. But he made an inauspicious start to his Mumbai Indians career in the game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. A lot will depend on how quickly Green finds his feet in the world’s richest league. His first home game on Saturday is a good opportunity for him to prove he can handle the Chennai spinners and get a few wickets with the ball.

Majestic Ruturaj

Chennai’s hopes will rest on the young shoulders of Ruturaj Gaikwad once again. A majestic timer of the ball, Ruturaj has played some of the most gorgeous innings in the last three years in the IPL. One of the stars of the team’s triumphant campaign in 2021, Ruturaj is now carrying the torch for young Indian batters in the IPL. Having scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first two games, Ruturaj will look to carry the momentum into the Wankhede Stadium.

Moeen’s magic

Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round skills can turn a match in the blink of an eye. But in Moeen Ali, Chennai also has an all-rounder that can be just as ruthless in this format of the game. The England player has yet to fire with the bat in the first two matches, but in the second game, it was his four wickets that turned the match decisively in Chennai’s favour. The hugely experienced player is just the kind of weapon MS Dhoni needs against a team like Mumbai Indians in an away game.

ALSO READ:

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Fri 7 Apr 2023, 5:41 PM

Recommended for you