IPL 2021: Match 53 CSK vs PBKS Preview, Playing XI, Live Streaming Details & Updates

Will CSK suffer a hat trick of losses, or will the ‘Men in Yellow’ roar back to hit the final nail in the coffin of the PBKS side?

Published - 06 Oct 2021, 17:59 IST | Updated - 06 Oct 2021, 17:59 IST

2 Min Read

We are just 2 days away from the end of the league stages of IPL 2021. As things stand, three teams have already qualified for the playoffs, and 4 teams still have a chance to grab the 4th spot. And that is why the 53rd match of the 2021 edition of the IPL will garner a lot of interest.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have already qualified for the playoffs. And, the MS Dhoni-led side would like to sign off their league stages on a positive note by posting a victory against KL Rahul and his men and at the same time, ensure a top-two finish as well.

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) have had several ‘missed opportunities’, and their destiny is no longer in their hands. They are currently placed at 6th place in the IPL points table and are almost out of the tournament. Even if they manage to post a win against the ‘Men in Yellow’, they will have to pray for several other results and calculations to go their way if they want to qualify for the playoffs.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will enter this match on the back of two consecutive losses. While they were mauled by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets on 2nd October 2021, the Delhi Capitals beat them by 3 wickets on 4th October 2021. And surely, the CSK side will want to avoid a hat trick of losses.

The CSK openers have been outstanding this tournament. While Faf du Plessis has plundered 470 runs this year at an average of 42.73, Ruturaj Gaikwad has blazed his way to 521 runs at an average of 47.36, and a strike rate of close to 140.

Ravindra Jadeja has been superb as well. While the left-hander has scored 212 runs at an average of 70.67 with the bat at a strike rate in excess of 150, Jadeja has also picked up 10 wickets this season at an average of under 30.

On the bowling front, Shardul Thakur has scalped 15 wickets with the ball and has taken them at a strike rate of just 19.93. Josh Hazlewood has taken 6 wickets in his last 4 matches. Deepak Chahar too has taken 12 wickets this year at a strike rate of 21.50.

For the Punjab Kings (PBKS), their inability to hold their nerve in critical stages of a match has proved to be costly. Against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab failed to score 4 runs off the final over and went down by a margin of 2 runs. And, even in their previous match against the RCB side, the KL Rahul-led side went down by a close margin of 6 runs. Even if these two results had gone their way, the Punjab side would have been sitting pretty in the tournament.

For Punjab, apart from their openers, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the other willow wielders have produced disappointing performances. While Rahul (528 runs) is the highest run-scorer in the tournament this year, Mayank Agarwal has plundered 429 runs at an average of 42.90. But then, the PBKS middle order has been wobbly.

Nicholas Pooran has scored a meager 85 runs this season at an average of 7.73, Aiden Markram has got off to starts, but has failed to convert them into big scores. Sarfaraz Khan has also been untested this season.

On the bowling front, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh have been superb with the ball. Shami has gobbled up 18 batsmen at an average of 20.72, this year and Arshdeep has prized out 16 willow wielders at an average of 19.19. Ravi Bishnoi has been impressive as well and has scalped 11 wickets in IPL 2021.

So, CSK are already into the playoffs, but will still aim for a win to increase their chances of a top-two finish, while even a win in their final rubber might not ensure a playoff qualification for PBKS as several ‘other results’ have to go in their favour. Will CSK suffer a hat trick of losses, or will the ‘Men in Yellow’ roar back to hit the final nail in the coffin of the PBKS side?

Pitch and Conditions

Dubai has surely not been a batting paradise. The ball has stopped a bit, and batsmen will have to apply themselves to ensure that they succeed on this track. The chasing team has won the last 5 matches played on this ground, and that should give a fair indication on what both teams would like to do if they win the toss.

Playing Combinations for CSK vs PBKS

Chennai Super Kings

The only possible change that CSK might think of is, replacing Robin Uthappa with Suresh Raina. The rest of the lineup will remain unchanged.

Predicted XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina/Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood

Punjab Kings

The Punjab Kings are likely to go with the same side from their previous match against CSK.

Predicted XI: KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh