Indian Premier League 2020 is set to kick-off in UAE from September 19, 2020, onwards with a clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. The clash will be played the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. MI and CSK are the two most successful teams in the history of the competition with seven titles between them and will once again start among the favourites. IPL 2019 Winner: Ahead of 2020 Edition, Here's Recap of Indian Premier League Season 12.

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings last met in the 2019 IPL finals with the Rohit Sharma-led side coming out on top and winning their fourth trophy. However, that is a thing of the past and both teams will be hoping to start the new season on the front foot against their biggest rivals. So before the two teams meet in the field, we take a look at the key players who could have a huge impact on the final outcome of the game. MI vs CSK Dream IPL 2020: Ahead of Season Opener, Let’s Cherish 4 MS Dhoni Staggering Knocks.

Rohit Sharma

The Mumbai Indians skipper would be looking to take the field against CSK on Saturday as he is the second-highest run-scorer against the franchise in the competition. The Indian cricketer has amassed over 700 runs against the three-time champions and will once again look to put on a great performance to lead his side to an opening day win.

MS Dhoni

The former Indian skipper’s presence on the cricketing field is one of the most anticipated moments in IPL 2020. Dhoni hasn’t played competitive cricket since India’s 2019 World cup exit and after retiring from the national team set-up, he will be eager to make a mark on the competition and it won’t come against a better side.

Hardik Pandya

The all-rounder is also one of the players who has missed on competitive cricketing action. The 26-year-old has recovered from a back injury and will be eager to take the field. Hardik Pandya recently played in the DY Patil T20 league prior to the lockdown and looked in great touch, scoring two centuries at the rate of knots and will be hoping to replicate a similar kind of performance.

Ravindra Jadeja

The Indian cricketer will have added responsibilities in the CSK team following the absence of Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. The all-rounder has been a consistent performer for the franchise over the years and will look to do that this season as well. His ability with the bat as well as the ball may prove to be decisive in determining the final result.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2020 04:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).