As the teams enter the last few qualifying matches for the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015, each and every result becomes vital as the sides battle to finish in the top four, and thereby qualify the semi-finals, and a chance at glory of securing the title.
Only the Kings XI PUnjab of the eight competing teams are effectively already eliminated, having had a woeful season, in which they have managed just two win, while suffering weight defeats.
On Friday, the table topping Chennai Super Kings welcome the Mumbai Indians to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, where the Super Kings are looking just about unbeatable. However, Mumbai after a poor start, just as in 2014, have found their form of late and are now challenging for a top four place.
While Chennai looked nailed on to finish in the top two, as they seek a first IPL title since 2011, Mumbai are embroiled in a frantic fight for a semi-final place with four other teams, and they will probably need to win at least three of their remaining four qualifying matches to secure a place in the post-season knockout phase.
The two teams have already met in this season’s tournament. That clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai coming much earlier in the season, when Mumbai were still struggling to find any sort of form. Despite posting 183 -7, with Kieron Pollard scoring 64 off of 30 deliveries and Rohit Sharma a 31 ball half-century, the Indians never looked like successfully defending their total.
With even experienced bowlers like Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh going for more than 10 runs per over, the Super Kings galloped home with over three overs to spare.
A similar result on Friday wouldn’t be terminal to Mumbai’s hopes, but it would certainly leave them hanging by a thread.