IPL 2013: Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings, Preview and Where to Watch

Mumbai Indians host Chennai Super Kings in the first of two games to be played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday. The game will be at the Wankhede Stadium.

Where to Watch

Play starts at 11.30am BST. Catch highlights on ITV 4 and ITV 4 HD at 9pm BST. Follow the match live, via text updates, on ESPN Cricinfo.

Overview

Mumbai enter this game after a seven wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last game. The IPL debutants restricted Rohit Sharma's side to 129/4, with India seamer Ishant Sharma the pick of the bowlers for his 2/15 from four overs. South African Dale Steyn and Indians Karan Sharma and Amit Mishra were a little more expensive but got the job done.

For Mumbai, Dwayne Smith continued his good form at the top of the order since replacing Ricky Ponting, with a measured, if slow, 38. Lower down, Ambati Rayudu's 27-ball 34 was crucial in pushing the scoring rate of a slow match. In the middle, legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar failed again, with only 14.

Hyderabad were briefly troubled after captain Kumar Sangakarra departed early, leaving the side at 53/2. However, Shikhar Dawan's return from injury has boosted what was a poor batting line-up; the Indian scored an unbeaten 73 off 55 balls to guide his team to the win.

The defeat leaves Mumbai in fifth, with six wins and 12 points from ten games. The pre-tournament favourites are tied for points with Rajasthan Royals but have an inferior Net Run Rate, which could be a factor in the race for a top four finish.

Chennai Super Kings are on a fantastic run of seven straight wins. The two-time champions beat Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs in their last game, after Indian batsman Suresh Raina hit a maiden IPL century to lead the team to 186/5.

The Super Kings boast one of the strongest batting line-ups in the competition and with the likes of Michael Hussey, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo all in good form, Mumbai will have to be inch perfect to avoid a battering.

Punjab didn't do too badly either, with the Australian pair of Shaun Marsh and David Miller hitting 73 off 51 balls and an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls respectively. And that will give Mumbai some confidence. Sharma, Smith, Rayudu and Kieron Pollard are all capable of the big shots and then there is Tendulkar; he may not be in form but he is always a threat.

The seven-game winning streak has seen Chennai consolidate its position at the top of the table, with nine wins and 18 points from 11 games. They have a six point lead over the Royals in fourth and with only six games in hand for the chasing pack of Rajasthan, Mumbai and Punjab, qualification to the knock-out stages is all but assured.

Team Form

Mumbai Indians