CSK vs Gujarat Titans Clash Tonight at M.A Chidambaram Stadium
CHENNAI: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on former champions Gujarat Titans in the IPL T20 cricket series tonight at 7.30 PM at M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 wickets in their first match. Left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was brilliant with the ball in that match. Among the spinners, Jadeja was instrumental in controlling the run accumulation.
Apart from them, other bowlers failed to make an impact. Tushar Deshpande conceded 47 runs in 4 overs. The bowling of Deepak Chahar, who has recovered from injury, is also under pressure. Deeksana bowled 4 overs in spin bowling at an average of 9 runs per over. As a result, the Bengaluru team was chasing 95 runs in the last 8 overs. Thus, CSK team may show seriousness in performing well in the final overs in today’s match.
In terms of batting, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, and Ravindra Jadeja contributed well. They can register a 2nd win if they again show their combined performance. In the first game, Shivam Dube struggled to add runs on short-pitched balls. In this case, he may focus on improving his skills.
Dhoni and Sameer Rizvi did not get a chance to bat in the first match. If they get a chance in today’s game, it could be a treat for the fans. This aside, Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana has reached full fitness.
Due to this, Pathirana may be fielded to strengthen the bowling in the final phase. If he does, Deeksana may lose his place. Because Rachin Ravindra is capable of being the main player in the spin. And Mukesh Chaudhary is likely to be included in place of Tushar Deshpande. But as far as CSK is concerned, there is little chance of making too many changes in one game.
Gujarat Titans are also coming into the field with the excitement of winning their first game. The team had a 6-run win at home against 5-time champions Mumbai Indians. In this match, the Gujarat team performed well in the final overs. In the last 5 overs when the Mumbai team needed 43 runs for victory, Mohit Sharma, Rashid Khan, Spencer Johnson, Umesh Yadav performed well and contributed to the victory.
Earlier in the middle overs, off-spinner Sai Kishore helped control the run accumulation. He bowled 4 overs, took one wicket, and conceded only 24 runs. In terms of batting, the top order, Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, failed to make the most of their good start. Sai Sudarsan, who scored 45 runs, and Rahul Dewatia, who swung the bat in the final over, could have another standout performance.
David Miller and Azmatullah Omarzaiare likely to strengthen the middle order. Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore are likely to play an important role as the Chepauk pitch lends itself to spin.