Kevin Pietersen names IPL team that has 'fantastic shot at winning' the title

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has revealed about the Indian Premier League(IPL) team that has a fantastic shot at winning the 2021 title. Pietersen believes that Chennai Super Kings(CSK) have an upper hand on other teams to claim their fourth IPL title as they performed exceptionally well in the first half of the tournament. IPL 2021 resumes with CSK’s clash against defending champions Mumbai Indians on September 19 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Kevin Pietersen hailed CSK for performing in contrast to everyone’s expectation after a below-par performance in the previous season while previewing the second half of IPL as it resumes on Sunday, September 19. “Everybody wrote off the old boys’ army of CSK before the IPL started in April, so seeing them go so well was a bit of a surprise. Their overseas players Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali, and Sam Curran, in particular, delivered goods. But I’m not sure how well this four-month absence will have suited them. It could take them a little while to crank back into gear, particularly the older players. If they are ready, it could be a historic few weeks for the franchise. They have a fantastic shot at winning a title that everybody thought was beyond them,” Pietersen said as quoted by Betway. 

Mumbai Indians find themselves in fourth place at the IPL 2021 points table

The 2021 season of the IPL was halted midway in May this year, because of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and was later shifted to UAE. Adding that it will be interesting to see which teams and players pick up the proceedings where they left off in May, Pietersen said even though a lot of Indian players have been playing a good amount of cricket in the past months, other players will come into the second-leg relatively fresh and would look to impress everyone with their skills. He added that, as the tournament is already in its latter half, MI would look to defend their title by winning from the first game itself. MI usually take three to four games to gain momentum and win matches. They are currently fourth in the points table behind Delhi Capitals, CSK, and Royal Challengers Banglore. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings who will start the second-leg from second place in the points table would look to continue their winning momentum, aiming for their fourth IPL title.

Image: PTI