CSK vs MI Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2023 match?

Has there ever been a drama-less Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Mumbai Indians (MI) clash in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL)?

The two most decorated franchises in IPL history will meet once again, this time at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, May 6. The Men in Yellow beat their arch-rivals by seven wickets in the reverse fixture at the Wankhede.

CSK have surprisingly lost two of their home games thus far in the competition. While their close defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) was acceptable, they seemed to unravel against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) last week.

The fact that the Super Kings' last clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was washed out has only added to their misery.

MI, meanwhile, have recently made a habit of gunning down big totals on the back of their power-packed batting lineup. Rohit Sharma and Co. have won five of their last seven matches in IPL 2023, with four of those coming while batting second.

More importantly, Mumbai generally aren't troubled by the Chepauk fortress, having had the wood over the home side over the last few games at the venue. In fact, they've come out on top in their last six matches against Chennai at Chepauk - a truly mind-boggling statistic.

MS Dhoni's men are currently placed third in the standings, but they've played 10 games for their 11 points. Both MI and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have played one game less and have only one fewer point than CSK.

If the home side drop points on Saturday, as many as five teams could leapfrog them in the points table. The Indians, meanwhile, will look to consolidate their surge up the standings.

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IPL 2023, CSK vs MI Match Prediction: El Clasico takes centerstage once again

MI captain Rohit Sharma has failed to fire at the top of the order

Rohit Sharma has been a massive disappointment at the top of the order, but CSK's powerplay bowlers haven't covered themselves in glory thus far.

The Men in Yellow attempted to boost their new-ball bowling by bringing in the recently recovered Deepak Chahar against LSG. However, the pacer ambled in seemingly without a care in the world. Although he got some swing to beat the bat a few times, he ended up leaking runs in his spell.

The rest of the MI batting is firing on all cylinders, though. Suryakumar Yadav is reaching his best, while Ishan Kishan has made a few important contributions too. Tilak Varma, Tim David and Cameron Green offer unique skills as well as a world of class and power.

However, the boys in blue will face a real test at Chepauk, where a turner is bound to be dished out by the home side.

Ravindra Jadeja has been in sizzling form, while Moeen Ali has prised out his positive matchups with ease. Although Maheesh Theekshana has gone for runs, he is a quality bowler who could turn up on any given day. CSK also have a capable replacement in Mitchell Santner, who strangled MI in the reverse fixture.

Moreover, the Super Kings' top order has set an excellent platform for the middle-order batters to bat with abandon. Both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have plundered runs at the top, and MI's new-ball bowling - and bowling in general - has been far from encouraging.

Mumbai's spin attack has been heavily reliant on Piyush Chawla, and while the veteran leggie has been superb this year, he can't do it all on his own. Hrithik Shokeen and Kumar Kartikeya may not have the bite needed to trouble the likes of Gaikwad, Conway and Shivam Dube.

While all the numbers point towards an MI win, CSK could be backed to pull off an upset. Dhoni and Co. will know that they need to set their home record straight, and another loss at Chepauk just doesn't seem likely.

Prediction: CSK to win Match 49 of IPL 2023.