"There's a lion, Sharma Ji's son and....": Aakash Chopra unveils top 3 picks for MI vs CSK showdown

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator, Aakash Chopra, named his three players to watch out for during the much-awaited IPL 2024 clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14.

Chopra believes that Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah from the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp will grab all the spotlight during the 29th game of the ongoing IPL 2024 against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday.

Ahead of the CSK vs. MI clash, the cricket pundit described Mumbai as a juggernaut with their explosive batting style. He also highlighted the dominance of MI’s batting line-up, referring to it as "rocket batting." Chopra further mentioned that Rohit Sharma will be his first player to watch out against CSK at the Wankhede Stadium.

There is more focus on Sharma ji's son: Aakash Chopra

He lauded Sharma's exceptional form, highlighting the former MI skipper’s impressive strike rate of over 200 in recent matches in the ongoing IPL 2024.

However, Chopra acknowledged the good form of Ishan Kishan but ultimately leaned towards Rohit as he would be in the spotlight.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Since it is MI vs CSK, the first player I am going to pick is Rohit Sharma. There is no doubt that he is in very good form. He is hitting at a strike rate of 200-odd and when he hits, he hits decently. Ishan's form is also good. So, Ishan is there but I am going towards Rohit for a very simple reason - it's the sort of match where there is more focus on Sharma ji's son.”

Read Also: "Jasprit Bumrah said MI vs CSK is a bloodbath": R Ashwin

Meanwhile, Chopra said that Suryakumar Yadav is his second pick for the MI vs CSK match. The MI star made 52 runs off 19 balls against RCB, and the commentator compared his explosive batting performance to a rocket.

He noted MI’s strategic shift towards compensating for their bowling weaknesses by aiming for high totals, typically in the range of 225 to 230 runs.

Mumbai Indians have a lion named Jasprit Bumrah: Aakash Chopra

Chopra also showered rich praise on Jasprit Bumrah, who took a five-wicket haul against RCB. He called Bumrah a lion of the Mumbai team as he highlighted his ability to dominate and control the game. And Bumrah is the commentator’s third player who will be in focus in the game against CSK.

He signed off by saying, “I wanted to talk about Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma but this team has a lion named Jasprit Bumrah. He is roaring as well as hunting."

"He shrinks the match to a 16-over affair. Jasprit Bumrah is one guy who always stands in the middle. If Mumbai bowl first, he won't let you reach the score you want to reach. If they bowl second, you will be able to hit everyone else but not him.”

Notably, MI made a stunning comeback in the ongoing IPL 2024 after losing three games in a row, and they have the moment after winning back-to-back games, and they will try to continue their winning streak against the defending champions, CSK, on their home ground.