IPL 2021 | Mumbai Indians will beat Chennai Super Kings in first match of UAE leg, predicts Aakash Chopra
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has made a series of predictions ahead of Chennai Super Kings' match versus Mumbai Indians in the opener of IPL 2021 second leg. The 44-year-old has picked Rohit Sharma-led MI as the winner of the match and said that he doesn't mind people making memes on him.
Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opener of IPL 2021's UAE leg on Sunday, September 19.
CSK have one of the biggest fan bases in the IPL and the former Delhi batsman is well aware of it and therefore, declared himself available for trolls and memes after making the bold prediction.
"I am putting my neck on the block, you can make the memes. I am going with Mumbai Indians to win," Aakash Chopra said on his Youtube channel.
Aakash Chopra also opined that finger spinners will taste more success than wrist spinners. He said that Imran Thair and Piyush Chawla might get games to play but Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali will be the key wicket-taking bowlers for the CSK.
"Finger fingers to pick more wickets than wrist spinners. You might see Tahir and Chawla play, Rahul Chahar will surely play. But Moeen Ali and Jaddu will do a fairly good job on this big ground. They will be taking more wickets," Chopra added.
The 44-year-old also predicted the timing of the first boundary and the fashion in which it would come.
"The first boundary to be scored within the first ten balls. I am expecting a bit of caution - an inside edge or outside edge or a boundary on the legs. I don't think you will see free-flowing cricket right at the outset. Everybody might just start with a bit of caution.
Further, Chopra said that the Dubai pitch would offer movement to the bowlers, who will be able to pick up at least one wicket inside the powerplay.
"The first wicket will surely fall in the first four overs, it is possible two might also fall. The last time when the first match was played in Dubai, the pitch was hard and had grass, there was a lot of sideways movement available. Even though you might play cautiously, despite that Deepak Chahar, Bumrah or Boult - whoever bowls, they will still get you out," Chopra signed off.