Which is a Better Balance XI – CSK or MI?

Which is a Better Balance XI – CSK or MI?: After 56 league matches and 3 playoffs, the wait is finally over and we have our two finalists for the last encounter on Sunday. No prizes for guessing, it is yet another time that the boys in the yellow jersey have made it to the finals of the IPL. CSK will face the rejuvenated Mumbai Indians on Sunday and the winner will earn the champions title of IPL 2015. Eden Gardens is all set to host the clash of the giants. Gearing up for the final, here is a comparison of the playing XI of both the teams.

Batting Unit –

Mumbai Indians:

The top order of Mumbai has come to their rescue and has been one of the most governing reason for which Mumbai has made it to the finals. Simmons and Parthiv have provided just about the desired start in every game and have been excellent at the top. However the form of the middle order seems to be a worry for Mumbai with Rohit and Pollard being a little inconsistent with the bat. Rayudu and Hardik Pandya in the lower middle order have not been able to meet the expectations on all occasions as well. In their last encounter against Chennai for first qualifier match, team MI was cruising at one stage with the kind of brilliant start they had. Crossing the 200 mark was on the cards but the middle order and the lower middle order failed to deliver for Mumbai. However Mumbai went on to win the match on their home ground with some good bowling.

Chennai Super Kings:

On the other hand Chennai Super Kings have their worries too with Smith not at his best since the last few matches. However, the form of Suresh Raina will be a big worry for Chennai who had been the vital key for CSK’s success in earlier seasons of league. Raina is replaced by Faf at his regular no. 3 position and looks to be in his poorest form this season. However they have ton’s of experience when it comes to batting. MS Dhoni at no. 5 who holds the middle order extremely well, they look like a strong batting side. CSK bat deep with all-rounder’s Bravo and Jadeja coming in at 7 and 8. Barring Pawan Negi, all the other batsmen have been batting stars for their national side and they very well possess the traits of handling the pressure situations which might be the key for the high pressure final match.

Bowling Unit –

The Lasith Malinga Unit:

Mumbai Indians have relied heavily on the bowling of Lasith Malinga at the start of the innings. He has been brilliant this season and has bagged 22 wickets this season. He is the only Mumbai Indian bowler featuring in the Top 5 bowlers list of IPL this season. Mitchell McClenaghan and Vinay Kumar have been on and off on the other hand with few standout performances this season. Looking at the spin department, Harbhajan Singh and Suchith are the only spinners in the side and on Eden Gardens track they will be expected to turn the fortunes for MI. Harbhajan has been bowling quite well this season picking key wickets and with the recall for the national side, he has his tail up. Suchith however has not been bowling full quota of his overs with part timers Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya featuring occasionally in the bowling list for MI. As a bowling unit, they do not look formidable with very few options in spin department. In a nutshell, MI relies heavily on the experience of Malinga and Harbhajan and the rest of the bowlers have not been at their best as a collective unit.

Purple Capped Bowling Attack:

The track of Eden Gardens will offer a lot to the bowlers especially spinners as the pitch does offer turn. CSK have the bowlers of all kinds and with 3 regular and 1 part time spinners, they look like a very healthy bowling unit. Even when the spinners are not picking up wickets, they have enough traits to put a hold on the scoring rate of the opposition. The top 5 wicket takers list in the IPL this season features 2 CSK bowlers who have been excellent at different ends of the innings. Nehra has been picking up key wickets at the start whereas the Purple cap holder Caribbean Dwayne Bravo has been excellent at the death. With Mohit Sharma bowling from other end, they have enough firepower to put brakes on the scoring rate as well as picking up key wickets.

CSK Weighs More:

. On paper, CSK looks like a better balanced team with plenty of bowling options and depth in their batting. They have some very fine all-rounders and have proved handy in this season. Mumbai on the other hand have a strong top order followed by a weak looking lower and middle order. MI do have some good bowlers who can win them the match. In all, the Sunday clash promises to be an exciting contest between CSK batsmen and the MI bowlers.