Mumbai: All teams, barring one or two, look evenly poised as the Indian Premier League (IPL) reaches its business end. Mumbai Indians have a habit of picking up late and this year is no different. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings, are born champions. You cannot miss out on these cricketers when the two teams meet at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings
Brendon McCullum: Not only as a hard-hitting opener upfront, but the New Zealand captain has been cheered for his fielding too. He is throwing himself everywhere around the park to stop crucial runs for his team.
Dwayne Bravo: A complete all-rounder. Be it with the bat or controlling the opponent stroke players with the slower ones during the death overs, Bravo is a true champion. Not to forget the catch he took off Mohit Sharma to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: The captain has had a quiet tournament so far but when it comes to crunch situations, he steps up. He scored an 18-ball 29 against Royal Challengers Bangalore too. Slowly getting into the groove?
Mumbai Indians
Lendl Simmons: Right since Aaron Finch’s injury, this Caribbean stepped into his boots and he has been doing a brilliant job. Apart from the bat – with which he slammed three half-centuries – he also been brilliant in the field.
Rohit Sharma: The captain changed his batting position thinking about the team and boy, what a decision. His middle-order exploits have proved beneficial for the team since then. He has hit 16 sixes so far in the tournament too, right behind Brendon McCullum and Kieron Pollard.
Ambati Rayudu: He has found his touch gradually. Rayudu – who helped Mumbai in their win against Delhi Daredevils – can change the fate of a given match. He has scored 185 runs in nine innings so far with a half-century under his belt.
(All photos: BCCI)
