Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, MA Chidambaram Stadium, 7:30 PM
What to expect
Either a one-sided affair or a nail-biting encounter, this has been the trend over the years when it comes to matches between the two teams. If the Chepauk pitch behaves the way it did in the season opener, a high-scoring game seems unlikely. Even for RCB’s strong batting lineup, it won’t be easy against CSK’s quality spin trio of Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin. More than anything, this contest is about how RCB counters CSK’s spin threat. Against KKR, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli effectively neutralised the impact of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. If they can replicate that here, they stand a good chance of bucking their poor record at this venue. For CSK, the key lies in improving their middle-overs batting. They struggled against MI’s spinners in the last game, losing momentum at a crucial stage. Against RCB, spin might not pose the same level of threat, with the onus primarily on Krunal Pandya. While Suyash Sharma is talented, his inexperience could tempt RCB to consider bringing in an extra spinner like Swapnil Singh or Mohit Rathee. Ultimately, the outcome of this clash will hinge on how well RCB’s batters handle spin.
Key Battle
Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, and Devdutt Padikkal versus Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor. The RCB skipper has been dismissed twice by Ashwin in the IPL. Jadeja has got Kohli out three times in his career, which makes this a very enticing battle to watch. Noor is a threat to all batters. How Krunal bowls against Shivam Dube is also something to keep an eye on, given how well Krunal bowled against KKR.
CSK Playing XI
Matheesha Pathirana is still recovering, as confirmed by Stephen Fleming, which means there will be no changes in the playing XI.
Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed. Impact sub: Rahul Tripathi.
RCB Playing XI
There will be a temptation to bring in an extra spinner, but with Krunal being there, Swapnil is unlikely to play. Rathee is an option, but for a big game, RCB may not look at him – especially since Liam Livingstone can chip in with the ball, giving RCB three spin-bowling options. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a lot in the nets during the buildup to this match, indicating he might be fit for this game.
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma. Impact sub: Devdutt Padikkal.
Pitch and Weather
There will be some assistance for the bowlers, but batting may not be as challenging as it was in the first match between CSK and MI. Seamers are expected to get movement early on, while spinners will take control in the middle overs. There are no chances of precipitation or thunderstorms.