IPL 2019 Final: A look at five key battles in Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings title clash on Sunday.
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 Final, MI vs CSK: Familiar foes Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will battle it out for the honour of lifting the IPL trophy for the fourth time as they clash in a mouth-watering finale of 12th season of the Indian Premier League on Sunday.
The two most successful teams of the IPL -- both MI and CKS have won the title three times -- will face off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Mumbai will go into the final as the favourites, having beaten CSK as many as three times earlier in the tournament including in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. However, statistics count for little going into the title fight with both teams being in the situation before multiple times.
Whoever outplays the other on the day will be the next champion. Let's take a look at five key battles that may tilt the balance of the match one way or another.
1. MS Dhoni vs Jasprit Bumrah
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The world's best finishers - with bat and bowl - will be against each other in the match. While MS Dhoni is known for superlative batting skills in the final overs of an innings, Bumrah is famous for being the best bowlers in death overs. In Qualifier 1, Bumrah did not allow Dhoni to score many runs in the final over. However, he did give him a lifeline after getting his wicket on a no-ball. The winner of this battle may very well decide the outcome of the match.
2. Rohit Sharma vs Harbhajan Singh
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Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma face off against former Mumbai teammate Harbhajan Singh. Rohit is a key player for Mumbai. However, he has not always found it easy against quality spin bowling. MS Dhoni has used Harbhajan in powerplays this season and the off-spinner has picked up loads of wickets. So it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious in this duel.
3. Faf du Plessis vs Rahul Chahar
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Faf du Plessis has been one of the few in-form batsmen for Chennai this season. At the other hand, Rahul Chahar has been a revelation for MI in IPL 2019. He has the knack of picking wickets in the early overs with his spin. Faf will have to not only contend with the pace of Bumrah and Lasith Malinga at the start but also be careful not to give his wicket to young Chahar.
4. Hardik Pandya vs Imran Tahir
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Imran Tahir and Hardik Pandya have been the most valuable players for their respective sides. While Pandya has given Mumbai the much-needed runs in the middle and final overs, Tahir has always picked up crucial wickets for CSK. It will be interesting to see if Tahir can send Pandya early in the final or Pandya will send Tahir flying over the ropes.
5. Kieron Pollard vs Dwyane Bravo
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The two Windies players have had a healthy rivalry in the past seasons of the Indian Premier League. With Dwyane Bravo being MS Dhoni's choice in the final overs and Kieron Pollard being Mumbai's big hitter, we may see a battle between the two again. These two are also live wires on the field and may affect the outcome of the match by their fielding efforts.
