IPL Fantasy 2019, Match 44, CSK vs MI: Who will be the X-Factor in today's game?

Two of the most successful IPL teams will square off against each other in match 44 of IPL 2019. The Chennai Super Kings will host the Mumbai Indians on April 26th for one of the games of the season.

Both these teams have had good campaigns so far and a win will do them a lot of good for the playoffs qualification scenario.

The Chennai Super Kings are coming off a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad and will be pretty confident about their chances in this match with Shane Watson back in form. The pitch in Chennai is showing signs of improvement, and CSK will want to get back at the only IPL team which has a positive head-to-head record against them.

Mumbai Indians are in a good position in the points table but need a couple of wins to qualify for the playoffs. It goes without saying that they will have to give their best in this important game.

Their job won't be made easy by the disciplined CSK spinners, and their openers will have to fire in this match.

With the wicket in Chennai showing signs of life, a total of 170-180 can be expected from either team in the first innings. And with some of the tournament's biggest match-winners featuring in this game, a cracker of a contest is on the cards.

It's also a game most suited for IPL Fantasy players considering how many impact players are in it. On that note, let's take a look at who the Fantasy X-Factor will be for this match.

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Hardik Pandya is the player to watch out for in this match. (Image Courtesy: BCCI/iplt20.com)

Mumbai Indians have relied on their middle order to finish off games and score the bulk of the runs because their top order batsmen haven't played through the innings.

Hardik Pandya, the Fantasy X-Factor for this match, will once again have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. But he has shown that he is up to the task, and can be expected to bring out his big hitting prowess on the night.

Krunal Pandya is likely to be sent ahead of Hardik in the batting order, but on a surface which the Chennai spinners know only too well, the Mumbai top order could possibly collapse again. In that event, Hardik will be forced to play a long innings.

MI might also go in with an extra spinner in this game. That means Hardik can be used to bowl with the new ball. He is a partnership breaker and can pick up a few wickets in this match.

Hardik is a player with all-round potential for points and with his form being really good, he's the perfect choice for this match.

Krunal Pandya, Suresh Raina, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo will also be good fantasy picks for this match.

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