Mumbai and Chennai will fight to survive in their maiden IPL 2022 clash
The 33rd match of IPL 2022 will see the two most successful teams in the history of the tournament, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), lock horns at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (April 21).
The two sides currently find themselves languishing at the bottom of the points table. MI have lost all six of their games and and are last in the standings. CSK, meanwhile, are just above their arch-rivals with just one win in six.
While a loss today will end Mumbai’s slim playoff hopes, Chennai will be on the cusp of elimination if they end up on the losing side.
However, with both teams filled with match-winners, an interesting contest beckons in Mumbai.
On that note, we take a look at the player battles to watch out for today.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav vs Dwayne Bravo
Suryakumar Yadav has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal IPL 2022 campaign for MI. The right-hander, who missed the first two games with an injury, has justified his retention with scores of 52, 68*, 43, and 37.
He has been dismissed just once by Dwayne Bravo in the IPL, but the veteran West Indies all-rounder will be looking to get the better of Suryakumar with one of his subtle variations. Bravo has 10 wickets to his name this season and his tussle with the Indian batter will surely be intriguing.
#2 Rohit Sharma vs Ravindra Jadeja
The two skippers have a bit of history as well. Ravindra Jadeja has dismissed Rohit Sharma three times in the IPL and only time will tell if he can add to his tally today.
Both players have struggled for form this season. While Rohit’s highest score in IPL 2022 has so far been 41 against the Delhi Capitals (DC), Jadeja has managed to pick up just five wickets at an economy rate of 8.25.
#3 Shivam Dube vs Jasprit Bumrah
Shivam Dube has been CSK’s star performer in IPL 2022 with 226 runs, including a 95* against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), from six matches.
His swashbuckling strokeplay reminds us of a vintage Yuvraj Singh and the Mumbai lad will be eager to continue his momentum today. But it is easier said than done as MI have star pacer Jasprit Bumrah in their ranks.
Although Bumrah has had a dull edition so far with just four wickets in six games, he has been economical. Batters seem content to play him out, but the speedster will look to get rid of the dangerous Dube and help Mumbai get off the mark this season.
