Chennai Super Kings return to Chepauk this time to face Rajasthan Royals as the first-ever finalists of the Indian Super League lock horns to continue their momentum in IPL 2023.
Ben Stokes and Ajinkya Rahane face their former side as CSK hope to continue their dominance at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The match will be played on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Injuries continue to be a worry for the Super Kings as Deepak Chahar could be replaced in the playing XI, after suffering a hamstring injury in the match against MI. Rajwardhan Hangargekar could return to the starting XI for the Super Kings.
Riyan Parag’s form could be of concern for the Royals. The youngster has not been able to repay the trust shown by the franchise. With the presence of Joe Root in the squad, we could expect some changes in the playing XI, especially with the Royals lacking a middle-order enforcer on their side.
What have they done so far?
The Chennai Super Kings have played three matches in IPL 2023, winning two, and losing one. However, this will only be their second match at Chepauk this season. The home team has won its last two games, and unlike last season, in good form.
Ajinkya Rahane returned to Mumbai and stole all two points back to Chennai. The veteran scored 61 runs off just 27 balls as Chennai overpowered Mumbai at the Wankhede.
Like their opponents, even Rajasthan Royals have two wins and one loss from their three games this season. However, the Royals have won their encounters more convincingly than any other team.
The finalists from last year sitting on the top of the table with a net run rate of +2.06 in just three games. RR looks like a force to be reckoned with for the second consecutive season. Yashasvi and Chahal starred in the last match against the Delhi Capitals, as RR won by 57 runs.
Head To Head Record
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have come toe-to-toe for 27 instances in the tournament’s history. The record stands 15-12 in favor of the Chennai franchise. Both teams would look to get a win on Wednesday.
One of the most iconic encounters between the two sides is the first-ever IPL Final in 2008. The Royals beat the Super Kings by the slimmest of margins and won the tournament on the last ball of the match.
In IPL 2022, Sanju and his men did the double over Chennai Super Kings, who struggled throughout the season. Moeen Ali’s valiant effort of 93 runs went in vain, as Jaiswal and Ashwin made sure that Rajasthan chased the total with ease.
Key Players
Shivam Dube (Chennai Super Kings): The power-hitter has rediscovered his best form in the IPL after joining the Chennai-based side. The southpaw would be hoping to fill in the void left by Ben Stokes if the Englishman stays injured and unavailable for another key fixture.
In IPL 2021, Dube pulled the match away from CSK whilst playing for RR and skipper MS Dhoni would be hoping that the all-rounder would do the same for the Men in Yellow.
Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals): The Chepauk is a spinner’s paradise, and Yuzvendra Chahal would be looking to affect the fixture all by himself. The premier leggie for Rajasthan has been in great form since the start of the IPL 2023.
With eight wickets in 3 matches, Chahal has the most wickets this season, along with Rashid Khan and Mark Wood.
Yuzvendra Chahal would hope to add to his tally of 8 wickets as he faces CSK
The 32-year old spinner has a favorable record against the left-handers. His four overs could be game-changing against out-of-form batsmen, like Devon Conway, Ben Stokes, and Moeen Ali. If he picks crucial wickets in the middle overs, it could be one-way traffic for the RR death bowlers.
Predicted XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni ©, Mitchell Santner, Sisanda Magala, Tushar Deshpande, Rajwardhan Hangargekar
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson ©, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma
Prediction
The Rajasthan Royals have won four of the last five matches that were played between the two teams. However, both teams are in some scintillating form in the current season. With two wins on their back, we believe that the Chennai Super Kings will win the match, and remind us that it is hard to beat them at Chepauk.