CSK vs MI LIVE – IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians have been the team to beat over the last couple of seasons as the two-time defending champions gear up in a bid to make it three in a row for the Mumbai franchise. While Rohit Sharma and Co. were dominant in 2019 and 2020, some chinks in their armour have been exposed during IPL 2021 Phase 1. The batting averages, strike rates of top batsmen Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya have fallen drastically & the captain has urged team to ‘change gears’ as Phase 2 starts with their game vs Chennai Super Kings – Follow CSK vs MI LIVE Updates on InsideSport.co
CSK vs MI LIVE – IPL 2021: Rohit Sharma to team ‘time to switch gears’, Ishan Kishan, Surya, Pollard, Hardik Pandya need to fire from word go
Time to switch gears @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/PJrZONfpgI
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) September 17, 2021
Also Read: Mumbai Indians Playing XI vs CSK: Rohit Sharma’s biggest headache, extra…
CSK vs MI LIVE – IPL 2021: Rohit Sharma to team ‘time to switch gears’, Ishan Kishan, Surya, Pollard, Hardik Pandya need to fire from word go
CSK vs MI LIVE – Mumbai Indians Batting need to fire? Mumbai Indians’ triumph last season was based on their exploits with the bat as they made merry on helpful tracks in the UAE.
Ishan Kishan top-scored with a staggering 516 runs in just 14 games. Quinton de Kock also crossed the 500-run mark, tally 503 in his 16 innings. Suryakumar Yadav also chipped in with 484 runs in yet another productive season, while Rohit Sharma also managed 332 in 12 games.
Pollard and the Pandya brothers chipped in with valuable contributions in the death overs, with Pollard and Hardik especially scoring over 250 runs at a strike rate of 192 and 178 respectively. Overall, the batting order managed 17 half-centuries last season.
CSK vs MI LIVE – Mumbai Indians Batting need to fire? Those numbers have dipped severely this season, with Mumbai Indians winning games on individual knocks rather than a team effort. While captain Rohit Sharma has particularly improved his numbers, the rest of seen a steep fall.
- Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard and Suryakumar Yadav have managed only one half-century each, further highlighting the defending champions’ batting woes.
- Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav failing to get past the 200-run mark at the halfway stage.
- Ishan Kishan was dropped midway after a dismal aggregate and strike rate,
- Hardik Pandya also posted abysmal returns.
- Kieron Pollard did his bit, but almost 50% of his runs came in the game against CSK.
CSK vs MI IPL 2021: Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya won IPL 2020 for MI, Rohit Sharma wants them to fire again, will they?
CSK vs MI LIVE – IPL 2021: A return to the UAE should bode well for the Mumbai Indians, with better batting conditions on offer. The holders played five of their seven games on rank turners in Chennai, but a return to more true wickets in the UAAE should see them return amongst the runs. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Kieron Pollard arrive in UAE on the back of some runs below their belt, while Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are impressed in the tour of Sri Lanka last month.
The team is certainly upbeat with Kieron Pollard already signalling his intentions. “Yeah looking forward, obviously going downstairs in that team room and try to bond again and get started. Looking forward to finishing the IPL and hopefully repeat what we did here last year. Good memories for us,” Pollard said in a video posted on Mumbai Indians Twitter.
Polly’s 🔙 and he’s looking to recreate the good memories of 2020 in 🇦🇪💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #KhelTakaTak #IPL2021 @KieronPollard55 @MXTakaTak MI TV pic.twitter.com/ll1KgWHZxO
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 17, 2021
Biggest Concern for Mumbai Indians – Hardik Pandya? The concern however surrounds Hardik Pandya, and his form will be keenly monitored by the franchise and the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. Former Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra believes the defending champions would want Hardik to fire desperately and compliment Kieron Pollard. Nehra in a Cricbuzz video said,
“Everyone has their eyes on him [Hardik Pandya]. I am not saying that he must always bowl all four overs, but if he can complement Kieron Pollard and bowl a couple of overs, that will be a huge plus for the team. With the bat, he is an impact player. His form has been fluctuating over the last year, but he is a player who can change things quickly. So, Mumbai Indians would really want him to fire.”
