Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Final Prediction

MI Team News

Mumbai's only change for the qualifier saw Jayant Yadav replace Mitchell McClenaghan in their bowling attack. The extra spinner could be a good option again in Hyderabad, after he claimed the wicket of Suresh Raina in his first over. 

Mumbai have stuck with their top three throughout, with the exception of one game captain Rohit Sharma missed early in the tournament. Quinton de Kock opens with Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav bats at three.

The middle order is more fluid, with the big-hitting prowess of all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard seeing all three float around depending on the match situation. Though an all-rounder, Pollard has played purely as a big-hitting batsman in this year's IPL.

Ishan Kishan has returned for the last two games, meanwhile, and looks set to continue in that middle order too having replaced Evin Lewis.

Three of the remaining four places are occupied by bowlers Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar. The final question then, is which of Yadav and McClenaghan will occupy the fourth out-and-out bowling spot. Jason Behrendorff played earlier in the tournament, but is now away with the Australian squad ahead of the World Cup.

MI Key Players

Suryakumar Yadav ensured Mumbai made light work of their chase against Chennai Super Kings in the qualifier, hitting ten fours on his way to 71 not out from 54 balls. He has scored 409 runs in the the tournament so far, with that his second half-century.

Only Quinton de Kock has scored for Mumbai in IPL 2019, with the South African hitting four half-centuries on his way to exactly 500 runs from 15 innings. De Kock's opening partner, Rohit Sharma, hit an unbeaten half-century in the final league game, meanwhile. He now has 390 runs from 14 innings in this year's tournament.

Where those three have laid the foundations, meanwhile, the middle order have then fired Mumbai to some big totals. Hardik Pandya's big-hitting has caught the eye most and he now has 393 runs at an extraordinary strike rate of 194.55.

Kieron Pollard is another big-hitting option, having scored 240 runs at a strike rate of 155.84.

Pandya is also among the team's leading wicket-taker, with 14 so far – albeit having been expensive. Lasith Malinga is similarly expensive but the Sri Lankan slinger has 15 wickets from his 11 games.

Jasprit Bumrah leads Mumbai's bowling charts with 17 wickets and an economy rate of 6.84, while Rahul Chahar moved to 12 wickets and an economy rate of 6.83 when he took 2-14 from his four overs in the qualifier.

MI Performance in IPL 2019

Mumbai won nine of their 14 matches in the IPL league stage, finishing top of the table on net run rate. After two defeats in their opening three games, they have lost just three times since – with three wins in a row earning them this place in the final.

They paid the price for conceding 213/6 against Delhi in their opening game, reaching just 176 in reply, but Jasprit Bumrah took 3-20 as they defended 187/8 to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in the next match.

Defeat to Kings XI Punjab followed, despite Quinton de Kock hitting 60 in a total of 176/7, but Mumbai hit their stride thereafter and have barely looked back since.

Suryakumar Yadav's half-century and Hardik Pandya's 3-20 saw them defend 170/5 to beat Chennai by 37 runs next up, while Alzarri Joseph claimed 6-12 on his IPL debut as Mumbai bowled Sunrisers Hyderabad in a 40-run win in their last game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Kieron Pollard smashed 83 from 21 balls as they recorded the IPL's highest ever chase (198/7) to beat Kings XI Punjab and, despite failing to defend 187/5 in a four-wicket defeat to Rajasthan, they bounced back by beating Bangalore again.

This time, Lasith Malinga claimed 4-31 and De Kock top-scored in a successful chase of 172 to win by five wickets at the Wankhede. A 40-run defeat of Delhi Capitals followed, defending 168/5 as Rahul Chahar claimed 3-19, though three more wickets for Chahar against Rajasthan could not prevent a five-wicket defending 162.

Malinga's second four-wicket haul of the tournament helped Mumbai bowl Chennai out for 109 in a 46-run win, but Hardik Pandya's 34-ball 91 – though continuing his own form – could not prevent a 34-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders after conceding 232/2.

Mumbai have won three in a row since, however. Quinton de Kock hit 69* from 58 balls as Mumbai set 162/5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The match went to a super over, but Jasprit Bumrah restricted Sunrisers to 8/2 and Hardik Pandya fired Mumbai to victory.

A dominant nine-wicket win against Kolkata followed, reaching 134/1 in just 16.1 overs, to ensure they finished top of the league table.

That meant a qualifier against Chennai, and Mumbai restricted the Super Kings to 131/4 thanks to Chahar's 2-14. In reply, Yadav's 71* saw Mumbai claim a six-wicket win with nine balls to spare.

MI Team Form

Mumbai go into this game on the back of three consecutive wins. The first of those was courtesy of a super over, after both they and Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 162, but Mumbai have been in dominant form since.

Lasith Malinga's 3-35 led the way as they held Kolkata to 133/7 – a total they chased for the loss of just one wicket, with 3.5 overs to spare – while it was Rahul Chahar (2-14) and Suryakumar Yadav (71*) who took centre-stage, as Mumbai chased 132 to win the qualifier against Chennai Super Kings by six wickets.

MI IPL Final Record

Mumbai Indians have played in four IPL finals. They lost the first against Chennai in 2010, but they beat the Super Kings in both 2013 and 2015 before their most recent triumph, against Rising Pune Supergiant, in 2017.

The latter match was also played in Hyderabad and saw Krunal Pandya’s 47 lift Mumbai from 79/7 to a competitive 129/8 from their 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah claimed 2-26 in reply, before Mitchell Johnson took two wickets in the final over, and there was a run out off the final ball, as Mumbai held on to win by one run.