IPL 2018: Match 43, RR vs CSK - Chennai Super Kings Predicted XI

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are all set to face the challenge of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. They have enjoyed a significant break of 5 days ahead of this game which was much-needed for them. Their opponents and the hosts are also riding high on confidence after defeating Kings XI Punjab by strangling them on a slow surface. The similar pitch is expected for this encounter as well and they will be playing in Pink jersey to spread the awareness regarding the Breast Cancer.

The Men in Yellow would want to concentrate on their combination as they are yet to find a settled combination as far as the death overs bowling is concerned. They would want their players to step up to the task now as the tournament is nearing its business end. Even the key players are expected to continue their good form and play their natural game with the team looking to seal their place in the playoffs.

Here we bring you the predicted XI of CSK for the game against Royals:

Openers (Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu)

The opening combination of Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu has been doing well for CSK. The latter returned to the top in the last game and once again impressed. He would like to get hold of the Orange Cap as well after KL Rahul surpassed him with a couple of brilliant knocks. Though Rayudu is expected to continue getting better this season and play yet another whirlwind knock.

Watson is known to take the game away from the opponent with his blitzkrieg. But his temperament will be tested on a slow surface in Jaipur especially against Krishnappa Gowtham who has made it a habit of striking early in the innings. If he doesn’t give away his wicket to the offie, then we might be in for a Watto special inning which might heat things up in the middle.

Middle Order (Suresh Raina, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni (c & wk))

Suresh Raina has still not had his best outing with the bat this year. He is trying hard and is even making runs which are not looking pretty, unfortunately. He is somehow managing to play his shots and is premeditating too much to overcome his weakness against the short ball. The stylish left-hander is expected to score runs as the playoffs are approaching fast and MS Dhoni would want his best player in form for the crunch games.

Dhruv Shorey had a great chance to show his prowess by winning CSK the game in the tricky chase against RCB. But he played a poor shot and left his team in a flux. This might be his last chance and will have to play a significant knock to impress his skipper and coach. He is a decent batsman and just needs to keep his composure by playing in the middle.

MS Dhoni, the batsman, has been magnificent this year. He has literally wound the clock back to 2005 when he was at his brutal best. He has scored 360 runs so far in 10 outings at an unbelievable average of 90 and a strike rate of 165.90 which proves that the finisher is back in the business. His captaincy is always the top notch and no one has ever doubted his abilities in that aspect.

All-Rounders (Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja)

Dwayne Bravo has been expensive at the death in the last few matches and Dhoni looked a little worried about him now. He has to get it correct when it comes to his bowling as the team needs his contribution with the ball than with the bat. The veteran of 385 matches in the shortest format would be soon wanting to make amends and land his yorkers in the right areas.

Ravindra Jadeja finally proved his worth in the game against RCB by bowling a match-winning spell. The pitch in Jaipur should suit his bowling again and he will be more dangerous for the likes of Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane. Though he is not needed much with the bat, it needs to improve and he has to be up for the challenge.

Bowlers (David Willey, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi)

David Willey bowled well in his maiden IPL game and he returned with the impressive figures of 1/24 from his four-over spell. He is a good option at the death for CSK as his left-arm bowling will also create an angle which is difficult for the right-handed batsmen to hit. His batting is also an added advantage but for now, the Men in Yellow would want his bowling his flourish. Harbhajan Singh has been doing the job assigned to him perfectly. He dries up the runs from one end which creates pressure on the batsmen.

Deepak Chahar should return for this game to replace Shardul Thakur. He was injured recently and missed a few matches as the team has struggled without him up front. His exploits with the new ball were impressive earlier in the tournament and should look to do the same on his return now. Lungi Ngidi is another bowler who has been excellent with the new cherry in hand and could trouble the opposition in the powerplay overs. But he seems to struggle at the backend of the innings which is a bit of a worry.

Here’s CSK Predicted XI for the game against RR

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