Mitchell Santner Prepares for Crucial IPL Clash Against CSK

Mumbai Indians Gear Up for Key IPL Match

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 19: As the Mumbai Indians (MI) prepare for their significant 'El-Clasico' Indian Premier League (IPL) showdown with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), all-rounder Mitchell Santner emphasized the importance of this match for their future momentum.

Entering the match with two consecutive victories over the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), MI will face off against fellow five-time champions CSK at Wankhede Stadium this Sunday. CSK recently broke a losing streak by defeating the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after suffering five losses in a row following their initial win against MI.

In a pre-match press conference, Santner remarked, “This game against CSK is crucial for our momentum. We will assess the pitch today to determine if there’s any spin or other factors to consider. Despite CSK's recent struggles, they are still a formidable team.”

He noted that high-scoring matches have become common in the league, and the team is focused on adapting to the playing conditions. “The type of soil can influence our strategy. We may have been off in a few games, but we’ve bounced back with two wins,” he added.

Regarding the Wankhede pitch, Santner mentioned he had observed the surface and said, “We had the option to make it a bit slower against SRH, and our bowlers executed well. I’m uncertain how it will play tomorrow, but we need to adapt quickly.”

“If the pitch is slow and spinning, we know we’ll face challenges. We’ve played on various pitches in Mumbai, which are usually favorable. I expect another good one,” he continued.

“Typically, red soil provides some bounce. The other day, it was slightly slower, which affected our bowling. If the pitch is flat, we know how to manage our overs. The key to slowing down teams is taking wickets during the powerplays,” he concluded.

Squads:

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni(w/c), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sam Curran, Deepak Hooda, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Dewald Brevis, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi, Ayush Mhatre

Mumbai Indians Squad: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Krishnan Shrijith, Arjun Tendulkar, Bevon Jacobs, Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh Puthur.