CSK vs RCB: “Redemption means you try doing things right versus what you were doing that wasn’t working”. RCB have a huge mountain to scale. After 8 games in the IPL, the Virat Kohli led side are 5th on the table with 6 points. The team has been massively dependent on Kohli and AB De Villiers. For a team that’s aspiring on winning the league, resting on the two batters is a little too much to ask. The team has to work in synergy to win games. In their previous victory against Mumbai Indians, the pacers, the tweakers and the fielders manufactured a fine partnership. Tim Southee’s introduction has added a lot of venom to RCB’s bowling. Mohammad Siraj has put his hand up and is bowling some fierce spells. CSK vs RCB has a lot to offer and is undoubtedly going to be a humdinger.

DHONI’S PROFICIENCY

If there’s one leader in world cricket who wouldn’t let complacency settle in, it has to be MS Dhoni. CSK have won 6 games so far and yesterday’s defeat against KKR was only their 3rd in 9 games. The IPL again has reminded us how uncertain the contests can be. Dhoni himself has been in scintillating form. If CSK qualify for the playoffs, it’ll be the 9th time in 9 seasons they’ll book a spot in the top 4. Can RCB test Dhoni’s might or will they bottle yet again?

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The 35th IPL game, CSK vs RCB will the first game at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. In the reverse fixture this year, Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni scripted one of the finest chases this year. MS Dhoni finished the game with a six, yet again. He’s done it 21 times.

VENUE: MAHARASHTRA CRICKET ASSOCIATION STADIUM, PUNE

PITCH CONDITIONS

The two games played at this venue have yielded high scores. The wicket has played evenly throughout the 40 overs which has made hitting through the line vastly easy. 409 runs were scored in the last CSK vs DD game. Delhi fell short of the target by 13 runs and that speaks volumes as to how the turf assists the batters. Win the toss and bowl first on this wicket. CSK, haven’t been the best defenders and they’ll wish the toss goes their way.

STATS AT THE VENUE

TEAM NEWS

RCB had an outstanding game against the defending champions Mumbai Indians. AB De Villiers was absent for the last game and is more likely to be fit for this bout. Brendon McCullum has to make way for the RCB talisman.

CSK have a lot of crucial decisions to make. Ravindra Jadeja has been very ordinary this season. Do they play him against RCB? KM Asif looked sharp but has been leaking runs. Not what CSK want at this juncture. Shardul Thakur might be recalled to replace the speedy pacer from Kerala.

EXPECTED PLAYING 11

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(c/wk), Faf Du Plessis/Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja/Murali Vijay, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif/Shardul Thakur.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

Manan Vohra, Quinton De Kock(wk), AB De Villiers, Virat Kohli(c), Mandeep Singh, Colin De Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav.

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PLAYER BATTLES FOR CSK vs RCB

MS DHONI vs YUZVENDRA CHAHAL

MS Dhoni has been in super striking form this season. In the 9 completed games, Dhoni has scored 329 runs at a jaw-dropping average of 82.25. His strike-rate in these games has been 169.58, 6th on the list of players with the highest strike-rates. Dhoni has remained unbeaten in 5 innings. His best IPL season with the bat?

Yuzvendra Chahal, on the other hand, has picked only 7 wickets in 8 games for RCB, but his economy rate has been mighty impressive. He’s conceded only 7.62 runs per over. Dhoni isn’t the most technically gifted player but there’s hardly anyone who can match his hand-eye coordination. Quick hands and a brilliant cricketing head have always put him ahead of his opponents. How has he done against Chahal? Let’s take a look.

HOW HAS WATSON MANAGED CHAHAL’S LEG SPINNERS?

The mighty Australian has struggled against the wily Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal has dismissed him twice, conceding only 24 runs in 21 balls. Will Kohli hand Chahal the new ball? Can spin get the better of Watson and Dhoni? To boot, can Chahal get the better of the two in-form CSK batters? Chahal has also kept the likes of Ambati Rayudu at bay. Rayudu has only been able to score 42 runs in 43 deliveries against Chahal. Can Chahal be the match winner for RCB?

DID YOU KNOW?

Harbhajan Singh has bowled the most number of dots in IPL. Singh has bowled 1107 dots in 505.2 IPL overs. His economy rate over the years has been a miserly 6.97.

Harbhajan(131) is also the 4th highest wicket-taker in the league. Dwayne Bravo is at number 5 with 129 wickets.

Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina have been fighting it out for the top spot on the leading run-getter board. The Indian captain is only 9 runs adrift of CSK’s southpaw. Who’ll lead the charts after this fixture?

MS Dhoni is only 110 runs away from the 4,000-run mark. Dhoni will be the 6th players to reach that feat unless Uthappa beats him to it. Uthappa is only 60 runs away from the 4k mark.

SQUADS

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

MS Dhoni(c), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungi Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N Jagadeesan, David Willey.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Brendon McCullum, Chris Woakes, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manan Vohra, Kulwant Khejroliya, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini, Murugan Ashwin, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Siraj, Parthiv Patel, Aniruddha Joshi, Pavan Deshpande, Tim Southee, Corey Anderson.

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