Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) are ready to face each other in the first match of the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting Sunday (September 19). The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the battle between the two most successful franchises in the history of the lucrative league.
As the second leg of IPL 2021 is set to resume, many experts of the game have started revealing their predictions concerning who will excel in the upcoming fixtures. Following the trend, former India opener Virender Sehwag has prophesied the winner of the fourteenth season.
Sehwag picked MI and Delhi Capitals (DC) as his favourites to win the IPL title this season but went on to add that the Rohit Sharma-led side has the advantage.
“Since the second half has been shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I think Delhi and Mumbai will again be favourites, and the five-time champions are slightly ahead,” said Sehwag as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The cricketer-turned-commentator said that if he had to choose one team, he would go with the five-time champions. Sehwag mentioned that the conditions in UAE would suit CSK as well, but they lack firepower in batting.
“Chennai’s average score in India was 201 during the first phase, but I think when it comes to UAE tracks, they would be lacking a bit in batting firepower. If I have to pick one team, that will be Mumbai,” he added.
Moreover, Sehwag also reckoned that based on IPL performances, there could be some changes in the recently announced Team India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has given a window to all teams to make final changes in their respective squads till October 10.
“100%. We have around seven matches minimum left for the teams. That means you still have a platform to perform, and those who are on the fringes could still impress the Indian selectors who would be watching the tournament closely. Since ICC allows a window to change teams, I will not be surprised if there are some changes in the original squad,” Sehwag added further.
