IPL 2021: Virender Sehwag predicts the winner of the tournament

The second leg of the IPL will kick off on 19th September 2021 with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on the Mumbai Indians (MI). And, former Indian batting legend Virender Sehwag has revealed which team is the favourite to win the 2021 IPL trophy this year.

The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ stated that since the IPL has now been shifted to the UAE, the Mumbai Indians are the favourites to lift the IPL trophy, with Delhi Capitals too, having a good chance as well.

Adding that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had an average score in excess of 200 in IPL Phase 1, Sehwag stated that the MS Dhoni-led side lacks the firepower when it comes to batting on the pitches in the UAE.

“Since the second half has been shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I think Delhi and Mumbai will again be favourites and the five-time champions are slightly ahead. Chennai’s average score in India was 201 during the first phase but I think when it comes to UAE tracks, they would be lacking a bit in batting firepower. If I have to pick one team, that will be Mumbai,” said Sehwag as quoted by The Hindustan Times.

Performances in IPL second leg can bring some changes to the Indian World T20 squad: Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag also said that since each team has 7 matches left, the second leg of the IPL provides an ideal opportunity for the ‘fringe’ players to impress the Indian selectors. The 42-year-old concluded by stating that there could still be some changes to the Indian squad that was selected for the T20 World Cup this year based on how the players perform in the IPL second leg.

“100%. We have around seven matches minimum left for the teams. That means you still have a platform to perform and those who are on the fringes could still impress the Indian selectors who would be watching the tournament closely. Since ICC allows a window to change teams, I will not be surprised if there are some changes in the original squad,” concluded Sehwag.