Former left-handed India batsman Gautam Gambhir has predicted the winner of the season opener and he favours the mighty Mumbai Indians against the Chennai Super Kings. The 13th edition of Indian Premier League is all set to commence from September 19 with Mumbai Indians locking horn with Chennai Super Kings. Two franchises are the most successful team in tournament history. A cracker to start the season amidst the Covid-19 crisis.

While MI is led by Rohit Sharma, Chennai Super Kings will be under the captaincy of ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni. Sharma guided the franchise from Mumbai to four IPL titles while Dhoni has achieved three title success with CSK. It is a close battle between the two domestic and most-successful franchises of Indian cricket.

The matches between these two teams always turn out to be thrilling and nail-biting. Mumbai Indians boasts a formidable lineup but Chennai Super Kings has the upper hand inexperience. CSK have some issues to tackle with veterans Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh not participating this year.

What Gautam Gambhir Said On Star Sports Connected?

Gambhir feels that Mumbai Indians are the right candidates to come up a winner in this clash. That is due to the fact that they possess the necessary depth in their team. It is a factor which is going to be very helpful for them, right throughout the tournament.

According to him, Chennai Super Kings won’t get the better of the two because of the absentees of the aforementioned personnel. That is what Gambhir feels at least, though the Dhoni fans may not agree.

“I feel the Mumbai Indians have the upper hand if you see the balance and depth of the squad. They have also added Trent Boult to their squad, who will give them a very good option. Because you want a bowler who can give you wickets with the new ball so that you can use Jasprit Bumrah in a different manner.”

What The Former KKR Skipper Concluded By Saying?

The World Cup winner in 2011 thinks that Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah will make the difference for Mumbai with their bowling. Gautam Gambhir also looks forward to the performance of both these teams throughout the tournament.

However, without a doubt, the fans know that he has an anti-Dhoni sentiment. That is with respect to most of the things related to cricket. This is due to the fact that the former Indian skipper got a lot of cricket for some of the World Cup and other tournament wins. To add to that, Gambhir was left out of the limelight.

Despite that, he went on to add, “So I will want to watch how these two perform, not only in the first match but in the entire tournament.”

The face-off between the two IPL giants will surely be a treat to the fans. These two powerhouses will make the best of their chances received through their magnificent performance on the pitch. It will be a real tester how both settle in an unrecognizable environment with no supporters allowed in the stadium. Hopefully, the encounter will carry the same energy as always.