Mumbai: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Two of the most successful franchises in the history of the IPL, MI and CSK, will compete for the first time in the ongoing season. Often termed IPL’s El Clasico, the clash of champions will feature the likes of Rohit Sharma squaring off against Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni against Bumrah and many other star-studded encounters.
CSK have been unbeaten at Chepauk but they have struggled in away conditions. While MI, who lost three consecutive games, have won two on the trot and will look to keep the winning momentum in their favour.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya said after winning the toss, “We would like to bowl first, dew will come into play. It looks better than the last game, expecting a lot of runs. Need to stick to the basics. Winning is very important to get the momentum. We were able to win two games convincingly. That’s the beauty of IPL, everyone has to contribute. Your team will be able to achieve goals eventually. The dew started coming post 10 overs. It gets heavier in the evening.”
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said during the time of the toss, “Would have bowled first, something we can’t control. Need to do well in all three departments. This is the beauty of IPL. always fluctuating. Good contest for both teams, two teams up for grabs. The team playing better will win. Pathirana comes in for Theekshana, that’s the only change.”
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Shreyas Gopal, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni(w), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman.
