High-flying Mumbai take on Chennai eyeing payback

High-flying Mumbai take on Chennai at the iconic Sharjah Stadium on Friday, October 23, eying a redemption after losing their opening encounter on the first day of the tournament. A lot has changed since then, with Quinton de Kock finding his rhythm while Lungi Ngidi losing his place in the Chennai setup. Chennai’s form, on the other hand, is an entirely new issue, however.

Table: Rohit Sharma's last five innings against Chennai in Indian T20 League.

As history shows, Mumbai taking on Chennai has rather been a one-sided affair, with the record Indian T20 League champions winning four of their last five encounters. In fact, since 2018, Chennai have won just two of their seven meetings against Mumbai, further outlining why Mumbai will be the clear favourites on Friday.

Table: Chennai vs Mumbai since Indian T20 League 2018.

That said, let’s dive deep into the statistics to see what the game has in store for us:

Rohit Sharma’s troubling form:

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma scored 176 runs in his opening five games of the season - that included two fifties - but his form since has descended to an extent that he has aggregated a mere 84 runs at an average of 24.00 in his last four outings. His returns against Chennai, in particular, are another reason to worry, as he has crossed the 20-run mark against them in just one of his last five meetings, scoring a total of just 111 runs during the tenure.

All that coupled with his disappointing record against the Chennai bowlers puts him further in the hole. Against Ravindra Jadeja, the Mumbai captain has scored just 71 runs in 72 deliveries in the Indian T20 League while being dismissed thrice. Against Deepak Chahar, he has lost his wicket twice while scoring 35 off 29 deliveries.

Table: Rohit Sharma vs Chennai bowlers in Indian T20 League.

Players to watch out for:

Chennai - Shane Watson

Chennai’s second-highest run-scorer in the current edition, Shane Watson has performed in bits and pieces so far, accumulating 285 runs at an average of 31.66. On his day, the Australian can cause some carnage but history suggests that he has struggled to get going against Mumbai’s bowling attack. A bifurcation below explains how mediocre he has been against the four-time champions.

Table: Shane Watson against Mumbai bowlers in the Indian T20 League.

Mumbai - Jasprit Bumrah

After a rather slow start, pacer Jasprit Bumrah has found his form at the perfectly right time. Third in the list of highest wicket-takers in the tournament, this game gives the Indian pacer a perfect opportunity to close the gap between him and leader Kagiso Rabada. Chennai are desperate for a win, and given his form against their batsmen, it is highly likely that he is going to strike big on the night.

Stats to watch out for:

1: 50+ score required by Rohit Sharma to become the only player to have 8 fifty-plus scores against Chennai in the Indian T20 League.

2: Catches required by Hardik Pandya to complete 50 catches for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League.

3: Wickets required by Jasprit Bumrah to take 100 wickets in the Indian T20 League.

12: Runs required by Rohit Sharma to score 4000 runs for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League.

27: Runs required by Krunal Pandya to score 1000 runs for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League.

Writer's picks:

Mumbai have lost just one of their last six games, and Chennai, in all fairness, doesn't really pose any sort of threat. Right from their openers to their bowlers, Mumbai have players who are enjoying a great run of form, and you can expect them to get away with two points tomorrow.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam