Rajasthan Royals will host Chennai Super Kings in the 11th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on 30th March at Guwahati.
Match Preview:
Rajasthan Royals are yet to win their first game in the ongoing edition of the IPL. They suffered back to back defeats against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.
With no other overseas batting support and a reliance on young Indian possibilities Kunal Singh Rathore and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Rajasthan’s batting bench seems precarious.
Concerns about their primary batting lineup compound this weakness. While stand-in skipper Riyan Parag gets used to his new position at No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal has not yet found his rhythm. Concerns have also been raised concerning Shimron Hetmyer’s batting position, namely whether he is batting too low.
Moreover, Rajasthan’s strategy of playing a batter less while batting first, even with the Impact Player rule, raises eyebrows and may hinder their ability to post competitive totals.
Out of everyone, Parag has an ideal chance to get in form and win the first game as a stand-in skipper as he will be playing in front of his home crowd, so, what’s better than making a mark in front of your own crowd?
Talking about CSK, they faced a humiliating defeat at their own homeground at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. And if anything it has raised concerns and questions for the CSK.
Although it was just one game, the tactics which were applied in the game caused the drama.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is batting at number three; why? Can Rachin Ravindra slide down a spot and he opens with Devon Conway instead?
After redefining himself as a spin basher during their 2023 championship run, is No. 6 the ideal position for Shivam Dube? What is the situation with MS Dhoni, who entered the game against RCB as late as number nine?
Nevertheless, CSK won their 1st game and if anything it will give them an upper hand to face the Royals, who are yet to grab the maiden two points.
Pitch and weather report:
Three nights earlier in Guwahati, Moeen Ali prevented KKR from losing Sunil Narine. Varun Chakravarthy bowled much more slowly, which allowed him to receive some help. These surroundings might feel more like “home” to CSK than Chepauk, which coach Stephen Fleming feels hasn’t provided them with any “advantage.”
Probable Playing XIIs:
Rajasthan Royals (probable):1 Sanju Samson, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Riyan Parag (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 Kumar Kartikeya/Tushar Deshpande
Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra 2 Devon Conway, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 4 Rahul Tripathi/Vijay Shankar, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Anshul Kamboj, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Matheesha Pathirana
Head-to-head record:
The head-to-head record between RR and CSK is a fascinating one. In their 29 encounters to date, CSK has maintained a slight edge, winning 16 matches compared to RR’s 13 victories.
Prediction:
CSK is expected to win the upcoming encounter of the tournament.
Where to Watch
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
