As we inch closer to the second phase of IPL 2021, former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has picked defending champions Mumbai Indians to benefit from the break the most. The second half of the tournament will take place in the UAE, scheduled to commence on September 19 with Mumbai locking horns with three-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
Incidentally, IPL 2021 was postponed on May 4 in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis in the country which also left an impact on the cricketers while a couple of them turned COVID-19 positive.
𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐖🤩𝐖 🚁#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #KhelTakaTak #IPL2021 @hardikpandya7 @MXTakaTak MI TV pic.twitter.com/QY2gLs7GY2
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) September 8, 2021
Speaking on the Star Sports’ show Game Plan, Gautam Gambhir opined that the break could be beneficial for defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), who won the title last year in UAE and will be one of the favourites once again.
“See again, Mumbai probably will be having that advantage, because first, they’ve won it last time in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in UAE, well, and they’re going back to the same place and they’re in a position where they can actually finish in the top two as well. If you look at other franchises, especially franchises like KKR or for that matter, even Sunrisers (SRH), it’s pretty difficult for them to qualify or for that matter, even Punjab Kings. But if you ask me one franchise who’s going to have an advantage with this break, is Mumbai Indians,” Gambhir said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians are currently placed fourth in the points table with eight points from seven matches.
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“I feel like a kid again and I can’t wait to play,” says AB de Villiers as he talks about his fan compilation videos people are sending him on Twitter.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 #BoldDiaries pic.twitter.com/60pGDaeMk0
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Adding further, the cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir stated that teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) could struggle when IPL 2021 resumes in the UAE. Incidentally, RCB and CSK have fared reasonably well in the first leg occupying the third and second spot respectively.
“From CSK & RCB’s point of view, I think they’ve gotten themselves into a position where they can actually afford to lose a couple of games. So, that’s the reason why I said that Punjab Kings can’t afford to do that, KKR can’t afford to do that. Sunrisers can’t afford to lose a single game if they want to qualify for the playoff, and that’s the reason why they probably will still have an advantage, especially CSK and RCB, because they’ve brought themselves up to that position,” he added.
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