Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has won the toss and elected to bowl first against Mumbai Indians in match 49 of IPL 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
Chennai and Mumbai are placed third and sixth respectively in the points table, but are separated by just one point. Mumbai are on a six-match winning streak in Chepauk and are coming into the match on the back of acing back-to-back 200+ chases in the competition.
After winning the toss, Dhoni said his playing eleven is unchanged, while adding the overcast conditions also played a role in deciding to bowl first. "A bit of rain is expected, that's one reason, looks like a good wicket and we want them to set a target for us."
"Every individual has worked well, everyone can show some attention on the field, we've improved every game, there have been some slip ups, but we need to finish well," he said.
Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma said left-arm spinner Raghav Goyal is making his IPL debut, replacing Kumar Kartikeya Singh (while coming out to bowl), while Tristan Stubbs is also in the playing eleven in place of a slightly injured Tilak Varma.
"Going pretty well, had a couple of good games, just about continuing the momentum. We have some worries, but we've started to do well. It's been challenging to find the right players and the right combinations. We know our strengths and the players who can fit in."
Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (captain & wicketkeeper), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana
Substitutes: Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh
Also Read: IPL 2023 Points Table
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Suryakumar Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Tim David, Nehal Wadhera, Jofra Archer, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal and Arshad Khan
Substitutes: Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Dewald Brevis, Raghav Goyal, Vishnu Vinod