MATCH PREVIEW
Follow UsChennai Super Kings broke their two-match losing streak in the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and now a win against Punjab Kings at Chepauk on May 1 (Wednesday) could help them solidify their position in the top four. Meanwhile, Punjab have lost six and won three and are in a position where they can’t afford any more slip-ups.
CSK vs PBKS Head-to-Head
Overall - Games 28 | CSK 15 | PBKS 13
In Chennai - Games 7 | CSK 4 | PBKS 3
Venue Details
Chepauk has hosted five games this season and the batters here have scored runs at an average of 30.6 and a strike rate of 149.4. We have witnessed four 200-plus totals at this venue. The spinners have been more economical (7.8 v 9.2) than seamers but haven’t picked up enough wickets. They have a strike rate of 33.4, compared to 19 for pacers.
Weather Forecast
It will be hot and humid in Chennai, with no chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be around 32-34 degrees Celsius, and the humidity will be 82%.
Things to watch out for
The ‘Jinx’ in CSK armour
Ajinkya Rahane was a revelation for CSK last season but the 35-year-old hasn’t done much in this year’s IPL. The right-handed batter has only managed 170 runs in eight innings at an average of 21.25 and a strike rate of 123.2. He started the season at No.3 before being given the opening slot at the expense of Rachin Ravindra.
The move hasn’t worked so far, with Rahane scoring 51 runs across four innings. As a result, CSK’s opening partnership has struggled heavily this season, having the least runs amongst all opening pairs. Their strike rate is also the lowest. They have lost their first wicket before touching the 10-run mark on four occasions and have just one 50-plus partnership.
With Moeen Ali doing nothing in the XI, it won’t be a bad idea to bring back Rachin Ravindra. If not Rachin, CSK also have the option of bringing in one of the Indian youngsters. Someone like Sameer Rizvi, Nishant Sindhu, or Aravelly Avanish could easily be used ahead of Rahane. But again, we all know that’s not CSK operate.
Now, can Bairstow be consistent?
Jonny Bairstow was having a terrible IPL till the previous game, scoring just 96 runs in the first six games. However, the batter stepped up with an excellent ton in the previous game, helping PBKS to a record run chase. The 34-year-old will now be expected to build on that ton and start delivering on a consistent basis.
Probable XIs
CSK - Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Sameer Rizvi/Shardul Thakur (IP), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana
PBKS - Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh (IP), Sam Curran (c), Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar (IP), Arshdeep Singh
Telecast and streaming details
The match will be live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Jio Cinema. The game will start at 7:30 PM, with the toss happening at 7 PM.
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