The Chennai Super Kings will kick-start the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League in the opening fixture against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday. The match will be played at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai.
The Super Kings will once again start as favourites to win the tournament as Mumbai Indians will provide the toughest challenge to the team led by Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s.
CSK have already won two titles from the four seasons of IPL so far and have become the first team to do so. The IPL crown for the last two seasons is with them and the Kings would be looking to make it three in a row at the end of the tournament, which will run through April and May.
Murali Vijay will be the man to watch during the close contest between Chennai and Mumbai Indians. The CSK opener, who scored 434 runs in last year’s competition, will be desperate to prove his point with a view to make his way back into the national team.
Mumbai Indians will have a change in a leadership this time as Sachin Tendulkar relieved himself of the captain’s responsibilities. That means Harbhajan Singh, who led the Mumbai outfit during the Champions League T20 victory, will be skipper during the current IPL season.
Sachin Tendulkar, fresh from his 100th international hundred, is fully fit to play and his fans would expect him to put up at least a few mesmerizing performances.
But Harbhajan will be the player who decides how further Mumbai will go in the tournament. While leading the team during the CL T20, ‘Bhajji’ showed his ability to influence his teammates and if he can replicate that, then Mumbai will definitely make it to the semi-finals at least.
Chennai are favourites to win the season opener but will be aware of the threat posed by Mumbai. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting contest to watch.