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Mumbai Indians begin a quest for a three-peat of Indian Premier League titles when the 2021 edition of the tournament resumes on Sunday. Play was halted back in May due to the Covid-19 pandemic but will continue now the action’s been moved to the United Arab Emirates. Mumbai are fourth in the standings following their final match before the break, a last-ball victory over Sunday’s opponent, the Chennai Super Kings, thanks to an inspired batting effort from Kieron Pollard.
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In the United States, the match (10 a.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV anywhere, but anyone in the US can watch Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians live on ESPN+:
With ESPN+, you’ll be able to stream every single Indian Premier League match. It also includes dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) all for $6.99 per month.
Or, if you also want Disney+ and Hulu, you can get all three for $13.99 per month. Separately, the three streaming services would cost a total $20.97 per month, so you’re saving about 33 percent:
Get the ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu Bundle
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians Preview
Pollard’s 87 not out was the difference when these two teams met on May 1. It was also one of only two defeats for the Super Kings, who are among the strongest contenders to snatch Mumbai’s crown. Chennai can play a host of international stars, including England’s Moeen Ali and South Africa’s Faf du Plessis. They are ably supported by homegrown talent led by skipper MS Dhoni.
Ali will be the biggest threat to Pollard and the rest of the Mumbai batsmen because of the devilish spin he puts on his deliveries. He’s sure to make the ball move everywhere on a wicket that favours spin at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pollard and Co. will be glad Ali’s England international teammate Sam Curran has been ruled out of the match due to quarantine rules in Dubai:
Team update for #CSK: Sam Curran will not be available for selection tomorrow as he is still in quarantine having arrived late from England
Faf du Plessis attended his first day of training on Saturday and will be available for selection
Curran took three wickets in the last meeting, but he’ll be missed against an order including not only Pollard, but also the heavy-hitting brilliance of captain Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Krunal Pandya. Sharma may not be at the peak of his powers after helping India beat England in the Test series at the Oval earlier this month, but he’s still the big hitter the Super Kings need to control. The 34-year-old has sent the ball to or over the boundary 29 times so far (18 fours and 11 sixes), according to the IPL official website.
The challenge facing Mumbai’s bowlers is just as daunting. Du Plessis struck 29 fours and amassed 320 runs before the stoppage in play. Keeping him quiet will be the main purview of New Zealand fast-bowler Trent Boult. His left-handed deliveries across a quick wicket will force Du Plessis into some difficult choices. Boult has already taken eight wickets during the first part of this truncated season, but he’s not the only bowler the Super Kings need to be worried about.
Rahul Chahar has taken 11 wickets in seven matches, and his is a game of subtlety and craft. Chahar will pitch a few googlies to crowd batsmen at the wicket and force some sliced connections sure to be caught in the slips. Like Alli, Chahar will appreciate how well the Dubai pitches react to spin.
Being four points adrift of the Delhi Capitals in the standings makes a win vital for the Indians. The pressure is just as intense on Chennai, though, after the Super Kings missed the playoffs in 2020, an unwanted first for the franchise. This has the makings of another nip-and-tuck affair likely to come down to the last ball.