Three-time IPL winners, Mumbai Indians lived up to everyone's expectations and finished the IPL 2019 league stage at the helm of the points table. With 9 wins in 14 matches, the MI Paltan looked almost invincible in the first round of the 12th edition of VIVO IPL. After attaining the topmost position, Rohit Sharma's men will now have two opportunities of making it to the grand finale. The first team in their road to the finale will be MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. Chennai will even enjoy the home advantage while playing in the first Qualifier. However, Mumbai defeated them twice in the league encounters and thus, they will have the upper hand heading into Qualifier 1. If we have a look at the previous meeting of the two teams at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, we will come to know of how well the Mumbai Indians tackled the spinners at Chepauk. Captain Rohit led his army from the front as Mumbai got off to a good start after being put into bat first. Finishers Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard took the team to a defendable total and then the spinners did the job for Mumbai. One might expect the same thing to repeat when the two teams collide in Qualifier 1. While some may argue that Dhoni was not playing in that match, Mumbai Indians have the best win-loss record against Chennai amongst all IPL teams and there is a reason behind it. Mumbai have always got the number of Chennai be it the final of IPL 2013, final of IPL 2015 or any other high pressure match. Rohit has developed the ability of staying calm and cool just like Dhoni and if we compare the two sides on paper, Mumbai look stronger as compared to Chennai. Also, Chennai recently suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in their last league match while Mumbai Indians lopsidedly beat the Kolkata Knight Riders. This indicates that the momentum is also in the favor of Mumbai Indians. Also Read: IPL 2019: Qualifier 1, CSK vs MI 3 key battles Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya had performed way better than the Chennai spinners the last time these two team met at this venue thus, one can back the spin duo to do the job for their team once again. Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on IPL orange cap, points table, schedule, news, live scores, purple cap and fantasy tips.<doc-sep>After 56 gruelling league matches, the two most successful teams in the history of the IPL take centrestage on Tuesday as Mumbai Indians face Chennai Super Kings at the Chepauk in the Qualifier 1. After both teams finished one-two on the points table, they start from scratch as they look to enter the all-important final with minimal fuss. While CSK are a different side at their fortress in Chennai, where they have lost only one game this season, MI are equally good in that regard with Rohit Sharma's side being the side that CSK were unable to get the two points at home. With MS Dhoni and co. looking for an encore of their 2018 performance where they ended up winning the IPL Trophy, Mumbai Indians would love to sustain their winning momentum as both teams look to inch their names into the history books with a record-breaking fourth IPL championship. Here are a few tips to help you pick your MI vs CSK Dream11 team. Squads to choose from: Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Rasikh Dar, Mitchell McClenaghan, Lasith Malinga, Jason Behrendorff, Anukul Roy, Anmolpreet Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Pankaj Jaiswal, Aditya Tare, Rahul Chahar, Beuran Hendricks and Jayant Yadav Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni(C), Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Kedhar Jadhav, Dhruv Shorey, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sam Billings, David Willey, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, Monu Kumar, KM Asif, Murali Vijay, Chaitanya Bishnoi, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn Playing XI Updates: Mumbai Indians: After closing out their season with two wins on the trot at their home ground, Mumbai Indians would be fairly confident of their chances considering the fact that they did they double over CSK this season. In both the CSK vs MI 2019 clashes, Mumbai's bowling stood up and delivered them vital points on sluggish wickets. With Chepauk set to have a similar look, an extra spinner might be called upon at the expense of Ishan Kishan with Anukul Roy doing great in his only match of the season at the very same venue. The rest of the side picks itself with Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya providing the balance to the team while the Rohit-de Kock combo continues to impress one and all. Possible XI: de Kock(WK), Rohit (C), Ishan/Roy, Suryakumar, Hardik, Krunal, Pollard, Chahar, Bumrah, Malinga and McClenaghan Chennai Super Kings: In the previous CSK vs MI clash in IPL 2019, CSK fielded a relatively weaker side against the Mumbai Indians due to a few injury concerns. This time around, MS Dhoni should be fit and roaring to play their fierce rivals in what is being billed as the 'El Clasico' of the IPL. Inspite of Shane Watson's lack of form, CSK have done well throughout the tournament with the likes of Imran Tahir and Deepak Chahar leading the way with 21 and 16 wickets respectively. Jadhav's injury in the previous match paves the way for Dhruv Shorey or Karn Sharma while the rest of the team should remain the same inspite of loss on Sunday. Although they lack in the fielding department, CSK have more than made up with the experience on hand and will surely be looking to notch their 100th win against MI, who quite coincidentally achieved the very same feat against CSK at their home ground in Mumbai. Possible XI: Watson, du Plessis, Raina, Rayudu, Dhoni(C&WK), Shorey/Karn, Bravo, Jadeja, Tahir, Chahar and Harbhajan Match Details: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Indian Premier League 2019, Qualifier 1 7th May 2019, 7:30 PM IST MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Head to Head: Total Matches Played: 28 CSK: 12 MI: 16 Matches in Chennai: 7 (2 CSK 5 MI) Last 5 Matches: 4 MI 1 CSK Previous Encounters: Last Match: 26 April 2019: MI (155-4, 20 overs) beat CSK (109, 17.4 overs) by 46 runs, Chennai Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma (67 off 48) Fantasy Tips and Suggestions: Wicket-keeper: Quinton de Kock has scored heavily this season with 492 runs to his name but should be overshadowed by the experience and calmness of MS Dhoni, who has been in sensational form for CSK this season. The former India captain has scored 368 runs at an average of 122 to reinstate his credentials as the best finisher of the world. He is the ideal candidate on what is a slower wicket than the usual. Batsmen: Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav come into this match on the back of a good outing against KKR in Mumbai and would love to continue their good form as they eye a finals spot. Along with them, Ambati Rayudu is also one for the taking inspite of him scoring a mere 219 runs this season, a far cry from his stellar run last season. One of Faf du Plessis or Shane Watson should suffice as the second batting option from CSK. Allrounders: One of the standout players of IPL 2019, Hardik Pandya is a must have with his big-hitting capabilities being portrayed more often than not this season. With a strike rate of over 190 this season, Hardik has seemingly found consistency to his game and will be their key asset come Tuesday. Alongside him, his brother Krunal and Dwayne Bravo are also viable options to pick up some valuable points for the fantasy team. Bowlers: Imran Tahir and Jasprit Bumrah have been brilliant this year and warranty a place in any fantasy side with the reputation they carry around as a genuine wicket-taker. With 21 and 17 wickets respectively, they have lived up to the hype this season and should add a few more to their tally alongside the incisive swing bowling of Deepak Chahar, who himself has picked 16 wickets this season and could prove lethal in the powerplay.<doc-sep>Chennai: Handed a reality check in their last league fixture, defending champions Chennai Super Kings will bank on home advantage to seal their place in when they take on a confident Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. After the gruelling league phase of the ongoing IPL, the stage is set for the Playoffs with CSK and MI clashing for a place in 12 May's final. There is hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides when it comes to their trophy cabinet, as both CSK and MI have won the title three times. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK has been patchy after a strong start and finished its league engagements with a six-wicket defeat to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Sunday. But CSK will be happy to return to their den to take on table-toppers MI, probably its biggest IPL rival, to decide which team seals a spot in the final. CSK boast of a tremendous record at home this season, winning six of their seven games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and come Tuesday, it will act as a big advantage for the hosts. A defeat, however, will leave both the teams with a second chance in Qualifier 2 on 10 May. The CSK top-order has fired in fits and starts in the league phase and will need to come out all guns blazing against a formidable MI bowling attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets), Lasith Malinga (15 wickets), the Pandya brothers (Hardik 14 wickets and Krunal 10 wickets), leggie Rahul Chahar (10 wickets) and possibly Mitchell McClenaghan. Skipper Dhoni (CSK's highest run-getter with 368 runs from 12 matches, three fifties) has been the mainstay of a rather inconsistent CSK batting unit and along with openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina holds the key in Saturday's game as the usually fluent Ambati Rayudu has struggled to get going. CSK, however, will miss the services of the Kedar Jadhav, who sustained a freak shoulder injury in the match against Kings XI. But Jadhav wasn't in the best of form and his absence could open up a spot for either Murali Vijay or Dhruv Shorey. Bowling has been CSK's strong point so far this season and becomes even more potent on M A Chidambaram stadium's sluggish wicket. Imran Tahir (21 scalps), the second-highest wicket-taker this season after Kagiso Rabada (25), has been at the forefront of an effective CSK spin trio, also including veteran Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja (both with 13 wickets each). And the success of Tahir and Co against the powerful MI batting line-up could very well determine the course of the match. MI captain Rohit Sharma (386 runs), the impressive Quinton De Kock (492, third leading run-scorer), Hardik Pandya (380) and Kieron Pollard will be hard to stop once they get going and CSK's bowlers have a tough task at hand. The onus would also be on the ever-improving Deepak Chahar, who has taken 16 scalps so far, to pick up early wickets for CSK and stifle the rival batting line-up. Going by the head-to-head record this year, MI holds the upper hand, having won both its encounters against CSK in the preliminary phase. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene would be aware of the job at hand and won't take CSK lightly despite the Lions' recent wobbly form. CSK will certainly receive a boost by playing the Qualifier 1 at home with the crowd fully backing the team in what promises to be a cracker of a contest. Teams: Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Anmolpreet Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Ankul Roy, Evin Lewis, Pankaj Jaiswal, Ben Cutting, Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare, Rasikh Salam, Barinder Sran, Jayant Yadav, Beuran Hendricks and Lasith Malinga. Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn. The match will start at 8 pm and will be shown live on TV by Star Sports Network. The match can also be streamed live on Hotstar. For all the latest news, opinions and analysis from IPL 2019, click here For the full schedule, date, time and venue of all the matches of IPL 12, click here Check out the full points table for IPL 2019, including holders of Orange and Purple Caps<doc-sep>Not too long ago, Rohit Sharma called the rivalry the 'El Classico' of IPL. That's how fierce the duel between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians has been over the years. It's perhaps the only major rivalry in the tournament. It's apt that these two top sides will play the first qualifier of the 2019 edition on Tuesday. On any other day, CSK would have been firm favourites for the match given the match is in their 'Den', the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. However, if at all there's one team that can claim to have had the edge over CSK in Chennai, it's MI. Rohit Sharma's side was the only team to beat CSK at Chepauk this season. In fact, they've not lost a game in Chennai since 2010. MI are also the only side to beat CSK twice this season. Mumbai come into the game having won their last two matches, against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK come into the game on the back of a loss to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. They also have an injury issue, with Kedar Jadhav out of the tournament with a shoulder problem. These are enough reasons to even make them favourites for the game on Tuesday. Yet, no one in the right mind would rule out CSK in Chennai. The difference between Tuesday's game and the last time the two sides met in Chepauk is the fact that MS Dhoni is back, which makes a massive difference. CSK have looked lacklustre in Dhoni's absence, but with him around in a crucial game, expect them to be charged up. CSK don't have the team to score massive like MI do, as was evident from their game against KXIP in Mohali. However, they do have knowledge of conditions in Chepauk and can adjust accordingly. Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina have struck form at the right time, easing some burden off Dhoni. MI are the most balanced side in the IPL, with ability to counter any condition. They have options for every department and have no apparent weakness. All signs for a cracker of a game, with the loser getting another chance to make it to the final. WATCH OUT FOR Suresh Raina: With two half-centuries in the last two matches, Raina has struck form at the right time for CSK. His poor season until then, coupled with Shane Watson's struggles, made CSK heavily reliant on Dhoni the batsman. Watson has continued to struggle, making Raina's role even more crucial. How he finishes could well decide CSK's fortunes in the last leg of the tournament. Rohit Sharma: The MI captain was getting cameos but struggled to convert them into big knocks. He did that to an extent in the game against KKR, taking his side home with a half-century. Rohit also made a half-century in the game in Chennai earlier in the tournament, and will have to do it once again on a pitch that's not easy for batsmen. TEAM NEWS Mumbai: They are unlikely to change a winning combination. Chennai: Kedar Jadhav is out with an injury. Expect Dhruv Shorey, or perhaps M Vijay, to replace him in the XI. PROBABLE XI CSK: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dhruv Shorey, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir MI: Rohit Sharma(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga<doc-sep>
The two most successful teams in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), will face off in the Qualifier 1 of 2019 season at the M A Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Both the teams have won the world's most prestigious T20 cricket league three times each, and the winner of the qualifier will have a direct shot winning an unprecedented fourth title. So, brace up for a blockbuster clash! What happened so far? Rohit Sharma-led MI have completed a league double over MS Dhoni's CSK, by 37 runs in Mumbai and 46 runs in Chennai, to extend their head-to-head lead to 15-11. The record at the venue also favour the visitors, 4-2. Meaning, the so-called fortress Chennai doesn't intimidate the warriors from Mumbai. But in the knock-outs, CSK have a slender lead of 4-3, including three finals in 2010 (won by CSK), 2013 and 2015 (both won by MI). Date: May 7 (Tuesday) Time: 7:30 PM IST, toss at 7:00 PM Venue: M A Chidambaram stadium, Chennai Live Telecast: Sports Star Network Live Streaming: Hotstar CSK were handed a six-wicket defeat by Kings XI Punjab (CSK) in their last league outing at Mohali, which underlined their patchy form this season. Despite finishing second in the league standing, CSK's campaign this season so far has relied on the mercurial Dhoni and spinners, with the likes of Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina only contributing with the bat in the last few matches. But the defending champions will have the advantage of playing at home. And they will be fired up to exact revenge against MI. Except for that 46-run defeat, CSK have won all their matches at Chepauk this season. For MI, as usual, ended the league stage in a strong note to top the table. But they will be aware of the task at hand. If they manage to beat CSK again, it will go down in history as one of their finest moment will further bolster their confidence. The losers will, however, have a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 10, to be played against the winners of Eliminator between Delhi Capitals (DC) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Key players MS Dhoni and Imran Tahir for CSK All eyes will be on Dhoni. He is CSK's leading run scorer (368 from 12 matches with three fifties). With an unreliable top order, what Dhoni does with the bat will have a direct bearing on the result. On a traditionally sluggish Chepauk wicket, Imran Tahir has thrived with leg spin. The Lahore-born spinner has 21 wickets, the second most this season after Kagiso Rabada (25). With Harbhajan Singh, he forms a potent spin attack. Krunal Pandya and Lasith Malinga for MI Krunal Pandya is the second most valuable player of the season, behind Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) Andre Russell. The all-rounder can win the match single-handedly. Legendary Lasith Malinga will play a decisive role. It will be interesting to see how skipper Rohit utilises his four overs. Probable XIs CSK: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir MI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga Squads CSK: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn. MI: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Anmolpreet Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Ankul Roy, Evin Lewis, Pankaj Jaiswal, Ben Cutting, Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare, Rasikh Salam, Barinder Sran, Jayant Yadav, Beuran Hendricks and Lasith Malinga. For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine