FANTASY PREVIEW
Follow UsThe biggest day of IPL 2023, yet, is here as in what is, without question, the most anticipated match of the tournament so far, five-time champions Mumbai Indians take on their fiercest rivals Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede in a blockbuster clash on Saturday.
MI vs CSK is known as the ElClásico of the IPL for a reason, and the buzz is uncontrollable as IPL 2023 braces itself to host the biggest group stage encounter of the season.
When MI play CSK, the points table doesn’t matter. Form, too, doesn’t matter. Rest assured each side will bring the best out of its opponent.
So, we’ve got one question, and one question only: ARE. YOU. READY?
Ground details
A total of 22 T20 matches have been played at the Wankhede since the start of 2022, and it has proven to be a moderately high-scoring venue.
167 has been the average bat-first score at the Wankhede since the start of the last year and teams have racked up scores in the 150-170 range consistently.
The last five bat-first scores at the Wankhede read 162, 157, 159, 168 and 193.
There’s been a clear advantage chasing here: 13/22 matches at the Wankhede since the start of 2022 have been won by the team batting second.
A big reason as to why the scores have been curtailed is because the amount of help the surface has provided to the seamers.
Since the start of 2022, pacers have taken nearly 70% of the wickets and have boasted a better average (29 vs 33.9) and strike rate (19.9 vs 26.4) than the spinners. The spinners, though, have maintained a better ER (7.7 vs 8.7).
But with the game being played under lights, in the night, expect a lot of help for the speedsters.
Suggested Team
While you could go for the above team, you can choose your team from Cricket.com's Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy suggestions
For small leagues: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Tilak Varma (vice-capt)
For grand leagues: Devon Conway (capt), Jofra Archer (vice-capt)
Stats that matter
> Gaikwad is in outrageous form, but he still is susceptible against left-arm seamers. His average of 20.7 against left-arm seamers is the lowest for him against any bowling type, and Mumbai have two potent left-arm pacers in Jason Behrendorff and Arshad Khan.
> Deepak Chahar has taken more wickets at the Wankhede (13) than he has at any other venue. At the Wankhede, he averages 18.9 and has an ER of 7.00. In his last two games at the Wankhede, Chahar has also taken two 4-wicket hauls.
> Rohit Sharma has struggled against CSK of late, averaging 14 in his last six innings against the Super Kings at a SR of 127.3. Conversely, he’s enjoyed batting at the Wankhede, averaging 46.6 across his last six innings at the venue.
> Curiously, it’s been a struggle for Suryakumar Yadav at the Wankhede in recent times. In his last 7 innings at the venue, SKY averages 12.71, with his scores reading 7, 7, 22, 8, 38, 7 and 0.
Grand league punts
> Considering Wankhede’s tendency to assist seamers, it’d be prudent to take a punt on the seamers in your Fantasy XI.
> Pick Gaikwad, Conway, SKY and Tilak Varma in your XI at all costs; these are the players who will do the bulk of the scoring.
Top Criclytics Projections
Predicted XI
MI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Hrithik Shokeen, Piyush Chawla, Jofra Archer, Arshad Khan
CSK: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shivam Dube, Sisanda Magala, Deepak Chahar, RS Hangargekar
