IPL 8 Qualifier preview: Resurgent MI take on McCullum-less CSK

Chennai Super Kings have been the most consistent side in the IPL. They have made the last four in every season. This year they topped a bunched league table despite not looking as convincing as in year’s past.

Their opponents in the first qualifier are Mumbai Indians, who have been every bit as inconsistent in the IPL as CSK have been consistent. The two teams have also developed the most significant rivalry in the tournament’s short life.

After winning two titles in four years, CSK haven’t won the IPL for three years now. They have lost in the finals twice in that span and will be desperate to end that trend. Mumbai have the momentum though, having won seven of their last eight games after losing five of their first six.

Mumbai will also have revenge on their mind. It was CSK who knocked them out of the 2014 IPL in the Eliminator. Mumbai’s strength in the second half of the season has been their openers – Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel – but they will need Harbhajan Singh to bowl well. They might consider playing another spinner since Vinay Kumar has been ineffective.

Chennai’s strength has been their spinners but their fielding can make a huge difference too. However, they need to sort out their opening woes, with Brendon McCullum having left to play for New Zealand and Dwayne Smith losing form. McCullum’s absence in particular will hurt the team as he has been their best batsman this season.

The X-factor in this game is the Wankhede stadium, which has been very good to Mumbai. A vociferous Wankhede crowd will leave no doubt which them they support.

Of course, a loss is not the end of the road for either team. The loser gets to play the second eliminator. But winning always beats losing.

Head-to-Head in IPL 8

Chennai cantered to an easy early win in Mumbai, chasing down 183 with 3.2 overs to spare thanks to a brutal opening partnership between McCullum and Smith. Mumbai returned the favour at the Chepauk, where they posted a comfortable six-wicket win.

Key Players for CSK -

Suresh Raina: He may not have had his best season but he remains CSK’s go-to man in big games. Last season, he played a match-winning innings against MI in the Eliminator to help CSK chase down 174. He showed signs of getting back to form with a calm 41 off 34 balls against Kings XI Punjab in Chennai’s final league game.

Ravichandran Ashwin: When batsman go berserk, Dhoni has an easy remedy - throw the ball to Ashwin, who has been brilliant this season. The offspinner is the only bowler with five or more wickets to have an economy rate under six (5.73). He also has a knack of picking up wickets at crucial times. An intriguing subplot will be watching Ashwin go up against his India predecessor Harbhajan Singh, albeit indirectly.

Key Players for MI:

Mitchell McClenaghan: The decision to leave out Corey Anderson and strengthen the bowling with McClenaghan has worked for Mumbai. The team was struggling with their bowling in the Powerplays but McClenaghan has provided a steady hand with the new ball and bowled well at the death too. He is their second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets at 22.50 and has a decent economy rate of 7.87.

Lendl Simmons: It was Simmons who turned it around for Mumbai last season after a poor start, and he’s done it again this year too. Strangely, Simmons was kept on the bench for Mumbai’s first three matches before better sense prevailed. He has since scored 407 runs at 40.70. He’s the second-highest run-scorer for MI and has the best average.

Simmons and Parthiv Patel have been one of the most consistent opening pairs in the tournament. How they tackle the in-form Ashish Nehra and Ashwin could decide the game.

Quotes

“You can’t afford to make too many mistakes but knowing you have a second chance, it gives us the license to play fearless cricket,” Rohit Sharma on the approach Mumbai Indians will take in play-offs.

“He is one of the players we are hopeful will stand up on big occasions and win big matches. He is certainly one of those and he has done it for us in the past number of times. We will look up to Raina in the absence of McCullum,” CSK coach Stephen Fleming expects Raina fill McCullum shoes.