Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians Predictions: Both teams are in good form this season after a horrendous last season

Playing in their tenth game of the season Chennai Super Kings will welcome Mumbai Indians in the 49th game of the season at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on 6th May. Both teams are in good form this season after a horrendous last season. Who will win this game?

The Chennai Super Kings started the season strongly and were cruising along at one stage. However, with two consecutive losses and a washed-out match, they have only managed to earn one point in the last three games. As there are many teams vying for a top-four spot, the Super Kings need a win here to stay ahead of the pack.

While Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad have formed a solid opening partnership, the lower-order batsmen have struggled to score runs consistently. This could be due to CSK's aggressive batting approach, which focuses more on strike rate than average, or it could be due to some players losing form. Conway has been the most important player in the CSK batting lineup, scoring five half-centuries in his last six innings.

The team's all-rounders, such as Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja, provide depth to their batting lineup, allowing them to play freely throughout the innings.

Another area that needs improvement is their bowling, especially at the death. The team has given away 200 or more runs in three of their last five completed matches, which is unusual for a top team. Tushar Deshpande, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets, will lead the seam attack alongside Matheesha Pathirana. Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and Maheesh Theekshana are the three spinners on the team.

The Super Kings have struggled with their bowling attack, with Deepak Chahar looking like a shadow of himself, and the other bowlers appearing to be succeeding mainly due to Dhoni's leadership. Defending a total will be challenging for CSK.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana

The Mumbai Indians have been steadily improving this season, winning 4 of their last 6 matches and occupying the 6th spot with the same number of points as RR, RCB, and PBKS. Recently, they have successfully chased down 200+ scores in their last 2 matches, which should boost their confidence heading into this match. While Rohit Sharma's form remains a concern, Ishan Kishan has been playing well in recent games.

In the middle order, Cameron Green and Tilak Varma have been consistent performers, with the latter having a high chance of making it to the Indian team. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has returned to form, scoring 3 half-centuries in his last 4 outings.

MI has a powerful batting lineup when at its best, and Tim David is another big-hitter who can finish off games like Pollard in his prime. However, like their opponents, the Mumbai Indians need to work on their bowling. They have conceded more than 200 runs in each of their last 4 matches, and their seamers, including Jofra Archer, Cameron Green, and Arshad Khan, have gone for over 10 runs per over. Piyush Chawla has been their standout bowler with 15 wickets from 9 matches, but the team lacks another quality spinner to support him.

The MI bowling attack could face a significant challenge if the pitch is similar to the ones we have seen in the past few matches at Chepauk. Jofra Archer, who has been short of cricket, is expected to make an impact soon.

Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Jofra Archer, Piyush Chawla, Kumar Kartikeya, Arshad Khan

The Chidambaram Stadium pitch has proven to be favourable for batting this season, with an average first-inning score of 183. The dry surface with minimal grass provides some swing for the fast bowlers, while the spinners tend to find some assistance later in the game. The cloudy weather is expected to continue, with the possibility of some light rain in the afternoon. Expect Chennai to win at their home.