Overview
What a difference a fortnight can make. When Rajasthan Royals went to Chepauk and won there for the first time since 2008, they sat pretty at the top of the log, while Chennai were bunched in mid-table. Since then, MS Dhoni’s Chennai team have won three on the bounce to jump to the top of the standings, while Rajasthan have followed a terrific win over Gujarat Titans with two losses that have dropped them to third in the standings.
Both those defeats were narrow ones, but they revealed chinks that other teams can look to exploit. The opening pair of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal haven’t been at their free-stroking best, and there seems to be confusion about what Jason Holder’s role is supposed to be. He has four wickets from six matches, but has faced just two balls this season. If he’s being regarded as a specialist bowler, then surely Adam Zampa becomes a better option, especially with pitches slowing down in the baking heat.
Chennai’s winning run has come without the involvement of Ben Stokes, and Sri Lanka’s Mateesha Pathirana – Baby Malinga – has been one of the revelations since he joined up with the squad. But on what was is likely to be sluggish surface in Jaipur, Mitchell Santner could be a clever option.
Whether Zampa plays or not, Rajasthan’s spin attack of Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin will be a tough proposition on a slow pitch. But they’ll be up against a Chennai line-up that are in blistering form. Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad set the tone at the top, while Shivam Dube has also been in excellent touch. But the surprise package has been Ajinkya Rahane, whose 209 runs have come at an incredible strike-rate of 199.
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Venue and Time
Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur, 7:30 PM IST.
Toss and expected conditions
In 48 IPL games going back to 2008, Rajasthan have managed an average score of 155 at this venue. At the halfway point of the 2023 seasons, teams had chosen to bat first just four times. However, the chasing side had won only 15 of those 35 games. Jaipur could be one of those grounds where batting first is the smart option, especially in the absence of much dew.
Head-to-Head
Chennai have won 15 of their 27 games in the IPL. But at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Rajasthan have a 4-3 edge.
Possible XIs and Impact Player Watch
It remains to be seen whether Zampa plays in place of Holder, and Rajasthan could well opt for Riyan Parag as the Impact player. Chennai seem to have settled on Ambati Rayudu as their Impact player while batting, and Santner could come in if they feel pace isn’t the answer in Jaipur.
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (C, WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chennai Super Kings: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (C, WK), Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.