IPL 2021: Irfan Pathan picks his four favourites to lift the title in UAE

Cricket fans must gear up for some T20 madness as the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume on Sunday (September 19). The UAE leg will kickstart with a blockbuster contest between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With CSK and MI being two of the most successful teams in IPL history, their matches are often termed as the clash of the titans.

Both teams did well in the initial half of the season as well. After suffering a horrendous campaign in the 2020 season, Chennai Super Kings bounced back and how. Having won five of their first seven, CSK were second in the team standings at the time of season suspension. Notably, MI walked away with a thrilling four-wicket triumph when these two sides met earlier in the competition.

Irfan Pathan recalls Kieron Pollard’s mayhem against CSK

It was indeed a nail-biting clash as MI walked chased down 219 in the very last ball of the game. Kieron Pollard stole the show with a stunning 34-ball 87 to take his side over the line in Delhi. Speaking of the high-voltage encounter, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan hailed Pollard for his onslaught.

“Aisa lag raha tha maidan pe koi cricketer nahi, ek bahubali aa gya ho (It seemed like a Bahubali came to the ground instead of a cricketer),” the southpaw amusingly said on his new show Pathan ki Paathshala.

While Mumbai Indians would be determined to replicate their heroics, Chennai Super Kings will fight to settle the scores. CSK hold a significant disadvantage in this clash as Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran are all but likely to warm the benches due to injuries. Nevertheless, the likes of Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, and Moeen Ali are proven stars of this format. Hence, Rohit Sharma’s men must not be complacent.

Meanwhile, Pathan also picked the four favourites to lift the cup in the Arab nation. He believes one of Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals will get the glory. Notably, all these sides were in the top four at the time of season suspension. Hence, Pathan’s prediction is highly likely to come true.