Richard Mann takes a look at this weekend's action from the IPL, with the afternoon matches on Saturday and Sunday under the microscope.
Cricket betting tips: IPL
2pts Mumbai Indians to beat Chennai Super Kings at 8/11 (Sky Bet)
Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings
- When: 15:00, Sunday
- Where: Mumbai
- How to watch: Sky Sports Cricket
On Sunday, the 3pm kick off sees Mumbai Indians welcome old rivals Chennai Super Kings to the Wankhede Stadium.
CSK pulled off a tense run chase when these two sides met in Chennai on the opening weekend of the season, but neither side has pulled up any trees and appear likely to content for the title.
Of the two, Mumbai are better placed right now having won their last two, taking their tally to three from seven this season.
CSK got back in the winning groove against Lucknow Super Giants, but it needed a special finish from veteran MS Dhoni to get them over the line for only their second victory of the campaign.
CSK’s lack of ammunition with the bat, particularly on a historically high-scoring ground like this, remains a big problem, and they are clearly missing the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad.
This pitch at the Wankhede is something of a puzzle because it is usually one of best for batting in IPL. However, the surface dished up on Thursday was damp and tacky, and proved very hard for quick scoring as Sunrisers Hyderabad limped to 162-5 batting first.
I don’t expect that to be the norm, with a return to type likely at some stage.
As such, 9/2 for both teams to score 200+ runs would appeal, were it not for worries about both batting units.
CSK are clearly light in that department, and with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickelton and even Rohit Sharma slowly beginning to find their range, another home win does seem most likely.
Jasprit Bumrah has returned from injury to help beef up a bowling attack already featuring Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner, and things are suddenly looking more rosy for Mumbai after a testing start.
They get the nod against a poor CSK outfit.
Preview published at 2150 BST on 17/04/25
Related links
- Paul Krishnamurty's IPL guide to the grounds
- Click here for Sky Bet's cricket odds
- Latest Cricket...Only Bettor Podcast
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling.
Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
