After the forced break of almost six months, the Indian cricket will be commencing with the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will be locking horns with the Chennai Super Kings on September 19 (Saturday). It is fitting that MI and CSK face each other in the curtain-raiser, especially after the thrill-a-minute ride they had in the IPL 2019 final.

Both of them are the most successful franchises in the history of the tournament, with as many as seven IPL trophies between them. While the Mumbai Indians will be missing the services of Lasith Malinga for this edition, it was the CSK who were dealt the mightiest blow with the withdrawals of vice-captain Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. However, both teams have settled rosters that are bound to serve them well despite the setbacks. 

ALSO READ: X-Factors – Mumbai Indians And Chennai Super Kings

In perhaps the greatest rivalry in the IPL, Mumbai Indians will be having an upper hand with 18 wins, compared to CSK’s 12. With a very well-balanced squad, the MI will be entering the game as favorites ahead of this game. However, one can never write off MS Dhoni and his men, especially at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium where spin is expected to play a massive part.

Let us take you all to the Probable Fantasy XI you can create with the following tips:-

Wicket-Keepers

With none of the players having much of a practice, MS Dhoni seems to be a better pick as he has been known for making a strong comeback and he will be much more effective on slow pitches this season. However, for MI, Quinton de Kock will be expected to play some match-winning knocks, but in order to maintain the balance of the IPL Fantasy XI, Dhoni seems better pick.

Batsmen

Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shane Watson, and Faf du Plessis have always been the prime contenders for the fantasy cricket. Even, Surya Kumar Yadav can be added in fantasy cricket and that will depend on the balance of the squad. Apart from them, there are some useful batsmen in the line-ups as well, like Ambati Rayudu, and Chris Lynn (if he plays).

ALSO READ: Players To Watch Out For – MI And CSK

All-rounders

There are some really reliable all-rounders in both the teams but citing the slow pitch in Abu Dhabi, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja seems to be the perfect fit. Apart from them, the good all-rounders for IPL fantasy cricket are DJ Bravo and Hardik Pandya.

Bowlers

Both the teams don’t have decent bowling line-ups but they have managed to do a decent job. Bowlers like Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Imran Tahir become the obvious choices for the IPL Fantasy XI on the sticky track of Hyderabad. Apart from them, some crucial bowlers can be like, Piyush Chawla and Rahul Chahar.

Fantasy Suggestion #1

MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, and Jasprit Bumrah

Fantasy Suggestion #2

Quinton de Kock, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Ravindra Jadeja (C), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, and Jasprit Bumrah