IPL 2022: Three players who can win ‘Man of the Match’ award in CSK vs MI clash
The El-Classico of the IPL is here as Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are all set to renew the biggest rivalry in the franchise cricket. It is a must-win game for both sides, more so for Mumbai Indians.
This season has broken the dominance of two sides in the mega-tournament as both teams are languishing at the bottom of the league standings. While Chennai Super Kings sit 9th in the points table with a single win and five losses, Mumbai Indians are last with six defeats in six games.
Who would have thought that the two teams that share nine IPL titles between them will be standing at the cusp of the elimination so early? If Mumbai Indians lose this game, they will be the first side to crash out of the playoffs race. At the same time, if Chennai Super Kings lost this game, they would have to win all seven fixtures remaining to stay alive in the competition.
With that being said, let’s take a look at three players who could be the guardian angels for their respective sides and become the player of the match in the CSK vs MI clash.
1. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Much of CSK’s success revolves around Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form. The right-handed batter was the orange cap winner the last season as the CSK lifted their 4th IPL title. However, Gaikwad hasn’t been at his best so far and his form has directly impacted Chennai’s fortunes this season. The southpaw returned to the form in the last game against Gujarat Titans with a knock of 73 runs off 48 deliveries. Mumbai Indians don’t have lethal new ball bowlers upfront and Ruturaj could notch up another big score to win a game for his team in CSK vs MI clash.
2. Suryakumar Yadav
SKY is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise sorry campaign of Mumbai Indians. The Mumbai batter has notched up 200 runs so in 4 matches so far at an average of 66.66. He will be the key for the Blues in the middle order as the five-time champions will hope for another solid contribution from their prime batter.
3. Maheesh Theekshana
The Sri Lankan mystery spinner could be the biggest weapon for the defending champions against their arch-rivals. Theekshana has been in a decent form so far, picking 6 wickets in 3 matches at an economy rate of 7.33. The Sri Lankan spinner could be the key to neutralizing Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top in CSK vs MI clash as both players enjoy pace coming to the bat.
