Chennai Super Kings will play Punjab Kings twice in a row this season—at home on the first occasion and away on the second—in back-to-back games. Following their convincing victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same location a few nights prior, they will play the opening leg of that series. Their four victories from their five home games thus far establish an intimidating challenge for the Punjab Kings. However, following a record chase that ended a four-match losing slide, they would be full of optimism.
The power-hitting success, though, may raise some eyebrows when they visit Chennai, which has generally had better bowling record. Chennai has been successful overall, but there have been some weaknesses that have shown, especially when it comes to batting and bowling up front. Both their lack of penetration upfront with the new ball and the alteration in their opening combination have not gone as smoothly as they had hoped. Their coaches have expressed concern about their lack of swing as well as their inability to penetrate with spin because of the dew factor. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana have contributed significantly to their success, but they would like to see a more team effort from the squad, which has been missing this season. Daryl Mitchell’s return to form is a positive step in that direction.
They face a team that has shown signs of being superior on the field but has lost a number of close games. Thus, their thunderous victory bodes well for their endeavor to turn the corner. They will be hoping for a spillover as they enter two matches against CSK full of potential. They have some important players returning to stronger form to complement the boost given by some of their less-fancied players.
When: 19:30 IST on May 1, 2024
Where: Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium
What to anticipate: Although the field will be new, it might be dryer than the one utilized for the Sunrisers Hyderabad match. Dew is anticipated to contribute, just as it has in the games played in Chennai thus far.
Head-to-head: Overall, CSK 15 – 13 PBKS. PBKS has won three games in Chennai, including one in 2023. The only team that has performed better in Chennai as a “away” team than them is Mumbai Indians (5 victories).
Group Vigilance
Chennai Premier League
Injuries/unavailability: No issues have been brought up at the CSK camp.
Strategies & match-ups: Given Ajinkya Rahane’s struggles this season, there is a need to experiment with their starting lineup. However, the encounter between players like Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh, who have supported PBKS’s bottom order, and Matheesha Pathirana may prove to be a pivotal moment in the game.
The probable starting eleven are: Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. [Sameer Rizvi/Shardul Thakur, Impact sub]
Kings of Punjab
Injuries/unavailability: Sikandar Raza has left the team to serve in his country, and Shikhar Dhawan’s status is expected to be decided on game day.
Strategies & matchups: Shivam Dube has been removed twice by Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada, respectively, opening up a strong matchup right away. Ruturaj Gaikwad presents a formidable opponent for the pair, and PBKS will have to allocate their resources sensibly throughout the innings. Ruturaj has been removed four times this season against left-arm pace, which may give PBKS some room to introduce Arshdeep earlier in the game.
Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Haarshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, and Arshdeep Singh are the likely members of the starting XI. Rahul Chahar is the Impact sub.
Did you realize?
-Harpreet Brar has the most economy rate of any front-line Punjab Kings bowler in the 2024 Indian Premier League at 7.62.
- In four games at Chepauk, Harshal Patel has amassed 11 wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
What they expressed
It’s inevitable; you prepare your team for the given circumstances. You face the possibility of what should be a penalty if you push things too far. However, the majority of the time, you have to consider the surface’s traditional nature, which results in regional differences. Thus, it serves two purposes: first, it gives teams the advantage at home, and second, it allows players to grow in a variety of environments as opposed to just one, flat, high-scoring one. Indeed, you have to adjust to different surfaces and environments. The game consists of two halves: the bowlers and the batters, who have thus far dominated. Due to the small fields and extremely flat wickets, it is very difficult for bowlers to gain any kind of momentum. In terms of spin, they have been nearly superfluous. And in previous years, they have played a significant role in the competition. Stephen Fleming advocates for “home advantage” and pushes for more balance between bat and ball.
