3 player battles to watch out for in CSK vs MI, Match 49 of IPL 2023

The two most successful franchises in IPL history, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) will lock horns at the Chepauk in Chennai in Match 49 of the IPL 2023 season. Given their rich history and rivalry over the years, this is also known as the 'El Clasico' of the IPL.

CSK had comfortably thumped MI the last time these two teams met at the Wankhede Stadium. However, the Mumbai Indians will be aware that they have beaten Chennai six times in a row at the Chepauk and that could give them some added motivation going into a crucial game.

With both teams gunning for a place in the playoffs, this massive game will naturally have a number of massive match-ups that could decide which way the result is heading. On that note, let's take a look at three such match-ups:

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#3 Devon Conway vs Piyush Chawla

Chennai's highest run-scorer this season with 414 runs from nine games, Devon Conway has simply been magnificent at the top of the order. He has proven to be an ideal foil to Ruturaj Gaikwad and has played the role of the aggressor whenever the right-hander has found it difficult to get going.

Arguably one of the best players of spin in the CSK team, Conway could potentially have a stern test against the in-form MI spinner Piyush Chawla. While the other Mumbai bowlers have been leaking runs, Chawla has just been brilliant and already has 15 wickets to his name from nine games. They haven't faced each other before, which adds a layer of uncertainty to this intriguing match-up.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav vs Ravindra Jadeja

Suryakumar Yadav seems to be gradually returning to his absolute best, having already scored 267 runs in nine games at a mind-boggling strike rate of 184.14. He will be wary of his failure against CSK when the two teams met earlier this season and will be determined to step up in the big game.

However, CSK star Ravindra Jadeja has troubled 'SKY' in the past and the numbers tell the story. Suryakumar Yadav has scored just 44 runs off 56 balls that he has faced from Jadeja in T20s and has been dismissed thrice. It will be interesting to see how the star batter finds a way to negotiate Jadeja's threat.

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#1 MS Dhoni vs Jofra Archer

It is almost certain that most of the crowd in Chepauk this season have come to watch legendary skipper MS Dhoni bat in what could be his last IPL. Dhoni has made a reputation for himself for being someone who comes to bat at the backend of Chennai's innings and plays an incredible cameo.

Mumbai's death bowling has been a massive worry this season and they will face a tough examination against arguably one of the best finishers in the modern era. Dhoni has faced speedster Jofra Archer before, having scored 44 runs in 37 balls and is yet to be dismissed.

The numbers show it to be a balanced match-up that could go either way. The Mumbai Indians will want their marquee pacer to step up and try and keep Dhoni at bay towards the backend.