Mumbai, May 9 (PTI): Their campaign back on track after tasting five successive losses in the UAE, defending champions Mumbai Indians will now face two-time title winners Chennai Super Kings in a potentially explosive no-holds-barred contest at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.
The two arch-rivals are poised to go toe-to-toe in front of a packed crowd in the night game that is more crucial for the hosts and Champions League holders than their southern rivals who are sitting pretty at no. 2 on the points table with six wins from eight games.
Mumbai`s comprehensive back-to-back victories over table toppers Kings XI Punjab on May 3, followed by another well-merited one against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 6 in their well-fortified home venue has brought them right back into the race for the four play-off berths. However, a first defeat in 11 games at this venue since tasting defeat in 2012 would virtually derail Mumbai`s quest for clinching back-to-back IPL crowns and emulating Super Kings` feat in 2010 and `11.
Chennai bowlers, ripped apart by Kings XI`s Glenn Maxwell and company, would find in-form captain Rohit Sharma and burly West Indian powerhouse Kieron Pollard major stumbling blocks. Sharma, who made a superb 59 not out, and Pollard (43) put on a near century partnership for the fifth wicket against Bangalore in Mumbai`s previous game which helped the home team post their highest total of 187 this season. Both these batsmen revel at Wankhede where the ball comes on to the bat nicely and are expected to be the main hurdles for Chennai`s varied bowling attack.
Super Kings batsmen too, especially the successful opening combination of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith, apart from Suresh Raina (212 runs from 8 games) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (147), would also relish the surface. Smith is pretty much used to the Wankhede track having played for Mumbai before shifting base and is the leading run getter (339) for his team along with McCullum (314).
Both teams have a well balanced attack with Lasith Malinga (9 wickets) for Mumbai and Mohit Sharma (14) for Chennai being the most successful medium pace bowlers.
Dew fall could be a factor for the team bowling second. Mumbai had the upper hand over their rivals last year by winning three out of their four clashes of the season, their lone defeat coming in the first qualifier at Delhi which they avenged in the all-important final in Kolkata and became champions.
