While MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would not want to read too much into their loss against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the Delhi Capitals (DC) will be looking to get the better of their southern rivals and continue their winning momentum.
The biggest challenge for Dhoni’s side would be to deal with the three left-handers in Delhi’s top five. With no Harbhajan Singh this season, CSK do not have experienced spinners who can turn the ball away from the left-handers. Adding to that is Shreyas Iyer’s expertise against spin, the onus would be upon the CSK pacers to dent the Delhi batting upfront.
Deepak Chahar, Chennai’s best bowler in the Powerplay phase, would be the one under pressure because of this.
Dhoni’s walking out to bat at number 7 in the last two games is a move being criticised by one and all in the cricketing fraternity despite all the explanations by coach Stephen Fleming and the skipper himself. There is a dire need to rethink MSD’s batting position. Even the numbers show that CSK’s win percentage shoots up when their captain promotes himself.
Both Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu are still not at 100 percent and are expected to be match-ready only when CSK face Sunrisers Hyderabad. This means that Sam Curran and Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to be a part of the XI, with the former in contention for an even longer run owing to his excellent returns.
When does Imran Tahir get a nod to play, remains to be seen?
Delhi’s win in their first game, in no way, meant that they were the better side. Marcus Stionis’ heroics, Axar Patel’s containing and Rabada’s super-over bowling were the few things that stood out. Their top-order needs to fire for them to present a challenge to CSK.
Both Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin have injuries they are recovering from. While it is highly unlikely for the former to be available, Ashwin’s injury would be assessed before the game. If Ashwin fails to make it to the eleven, veteran spinner Amit Mishra’s services will be called upon by the DC.
Mohit Sharma, who replaced Ishant for the first game, didn’t perform well as he gave away as many as 45 in his four. While DC are likely to persist with him for another couple of games, it won’t be a surprise if he makes way for Avesh Khan. Avesh Khan’s extra pace makes him a likely contender as him, alongside Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje might be tasked to rush the CSK batsmen at the top. A pace trio at the top is a move that recently did wonders for MI.
Likely XIs:
CSK: Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Curran, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi
DC: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin/Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Mohit Sharma/Avesh Khan
