IPL 2020 - Mumbai Indians To Face Chennai Super Kings In Blockbuster Opening Match In Wankhede

The full schedule of IPL 2020 is out. The tournament will begin on March 29 and the league games will be played until May 17 with the final potentially on May 24. There will be a total of only six double headers in this edition of the Indian Premier League and all will be on a Sunday. The Indian Premier League will get off to a blockbuster start, with four-time champions Mumbai Indians taking on the three-time champions Chennai Super Kings. The clash between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni will be a sight millions of cricketing fans will be eagerly waiting. Dhoni will be playing his first competitive game ever since the painful exit in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand while Rohit also returned home from the current tour of New Zealand following a calf injury.

The rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians is considered the greatest rivalry in the history of the Indian Premier League. In one point of their rivalry, both teams were having an even head-to-head record but in the past, Mumbai Indians have firmly asserted their dominance over Chennai Super Kings. In 28 encounters between the two sides, Mumbai Indians have won 17 games and lost 11. In the 2019 edition of the IPL, Mumbai Indians won all four encounters against Chennai Super Kings, including the final by one run. In fact, Mumbai Indians have won their last five encounters against Chennai Super Kings.

Mumbai, Chennai Dominate IPL

In this last decade, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have dominated the title run when it comes to the IPL. Barring the 2016 and 2017 editions in which Chennai Super Kings were banned, it has been Mumbai Indians who have dominated the IPL. Chennai Super Kings won their first two titles in 2010 and 2011 when they defeated Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the finals. In 2012, Chennai Super Kings lost in the final to Kolkata Knight Riders and since then, Mumbai Indians have set a pattern of winning the title during odd years.

Mumbai Indians won their first title when they defeated Chennai Super Kings in 2013 in Kolkata and they repeated the feat in 2015 when they defeated Chennai Super Kings once again in Kolkata. In 2017, Mumbai Indians won their third title when they defeated Rising Pune Supergiant in the final in Hyderabad by one run. The odd years continued to favour Mumbai Indians as they once again defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final in Hyderabad by one run to become the first four-time IPL champions.

Mumbai Indians have won three out of their four finals by beating Chennai Super Kings. (Image credit: Twitter)

For Chennai Super Kings, they achieved the ultimate story of redemption when they won the title in 2018 after serving their two-year ban due to the spot-fixing scandal. Chennai Super Kings, having players well over 30 and labelled the Dad's army, stunned the cricketing world when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad on the back of Shane Watson's brilliant century in Mumbai.

Key Players From Both Sides

The clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings consists of star players on both sides. Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are the marquee players who still captivate the attention of millions of fans. Mumbai Indians possess the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah and the utility of key all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. They have the welcome services of Trent Boult and Chris Lynn in the side while Quinton de Kock, the South Africa skipper, makes the Mumbai Indians batting intimidating.

Also Read | IPL 2020 Full Schedule: Venue, Fixtures, Date And Time - All You Need To Know

Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have an array of smart players who can chip in at vital times. Apart from Dhoni, they have the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir and Harbhajan Singh who have shown their mettle many times in the Indian Premier League. Shane Watson provides power at the top while Suresh Raina is an Indian Premier League legend. Dwayne Bravo is considered the best Twenty20 all-rounder and the addition of players like Josh Hazlewood and Sam Curran will boost the Chennai Super Kings side.

RELATED