Abu Dhabi: The wait and the speculation are finally over. Indian cricketers will finally be seen in action as defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) kick-off the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK). CSK won the toss and opted to field first in the season opener against defending champions MI.
Two of IPL’s most successful teams will aim to start on a winning note straightaway with Rohit Sharma’s MI holding a slight edge over MS Dhoni’s CSK. Suresh Raina – a key player of CSK left the squad due to personal reasons and will not participate in this season’s tournament. After Raina’s departure, two cricketers from the CSK squad – Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad – along with other staff members tested positive for COVID-19 as soon as they team landed in UAE. Seamer Deepak Chahar is already back, but Ruturaj Gaikwad is still not out of quarantine.
On the other hand MI will miss Lasith Malinga’s services this season. He has been a consistent performer for the team and performed the role of a match-winner over many years.
The tournament will be played behind closed doors – as of now – with an eye towards the safety of the fans and players.