CSK v MI IPL 2023: Confident Mumbai Indians bank on SKY impact against Chennai Super Kings | Cricket News – Times of India

CHENNAI: The last time Suryakumar Yadav played at the Chepauk, he got the third of his hat-trick of golden ducks in international cricket. His captain Rohit Sharma refused to read much into it saying “it’s just a phase” and how right he has been proven.
After the initial hiccups in the IPL as well, Surya has come into his own and that has given a completely different look and feel to this Mumbai Indians team. Two 200+ chases, aided by the brilliance of Surya, have brought MI right back into reckoning and now they are up against CSK.

The table is extremely tight and the winner of this match will be in a far better position for a last-four berth.
It’s a day game and there’s absolutely no doubt that CSK will dish out another track where the ball will stop and turn just a bit so that their three spinners can come into play against the power-hitters of Mumbai.
More often than not, on these pitches, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana find a way to get the better of batters whose games are centred around standing tall and hitting through the line.

In a situation like that, Surya becomes all the more important. The versatile right-hander uses his head instead of going in with a pre-determined approach, which is crucial for success on Indian pitches.
During his lean patch, at times, Surya was probably not giving himself the time to get used to the track. That’s something he seems to have worked on and it’s paying dividends.

We have come to associate big-hitting with SKY, but the 31-year-old doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to somebody like an Ishan Kishan, who loves playing the big shots.
It’s the combination of this humility and street-smartness of this Mumbai boy that has brought life back to MI’s campaign. On Friday, he didn’t practise, and there is a possibility that he may be carrying a niggle. But then, he played as an impact sub in the last game and it’s most likely he will do the same against CSK as well.

Watch IPL 2023: CSK vs MI at the Chepauk – Who will win the ‘Clash of the Titans’?