IPL 2023: Mumbai's late resurgence to send shivers down Chennai's spine, says ex-CSK opener Matthew Hayden

Big teams deliver on the big stage, and Mumbai Indians, for the nth time, have proved why they are the team to fear this season. Following a very Mumbai kind of a start, where they lost several matches on the trot early on, Rohit Sharma-led side turned the tide; they deployed a more fearless approach, which saw them reaching one step closer to facing Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023 final.

Matthew Hayden, the former CSK opener, while speaking after Mumbai vs Lucknow Super Giants Eliminator that MI won by a whopping 81 runs, said looking at MI's resurgence and how they dominated oppositions lately, Chennai would fear facing them in the finals on Sunday.

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In the first half of the season, Mumbai Indians struggled to gain momentum as they lost four out of the seven games. In the next half of the tournament, MI won five out of the remaining matches and qualified for the playoffs. Facing LSG in the Eliminator on Wednesday, a team they were yet to beat until then, Mumbai thrashed them by 81 runs and cruised one step towards making the finals.

"Very special achievement, it's been a very big difference in the way MI have played in the two halves of the season. In the first 7 games, they won only three games and four losses. And in the next 7, they won 5. They have really got on a roll here. I would imagine opposition sides will be fearing MI now," Hayden told Star Sports, as quoted by India Today.

MI's form, final's history to haunt CSK - Hayden

Chennai and Mumbai are the two most successful sides in IPL history, having won four and five titles, respectively. Meanwhile, in the four previous finals between these two sides, Mumbai has come in the top three times, making them a strong contender for the title this time if they go past Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.

Earlier, CSK's bowling coach and legend Dwayne Bravo also jokingly echoed the same concerns about CSK fearing facing Mumbai in the finals. 

"If they haven't already, and Mumbai Indians are not only in a position in the next game where they can qualify (for the final), that is going to send some real shivers through the spines of CSK. We have already heard that from one of their very greatest DJ Bravo. But also, Gujarat Titans, who would have they wanted to play, I don't think it would be Mumbai Indians," Hayden added.

Meanwhile, Mumbai will travel to Ahmedabad to face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023. 

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