Chennai Super Kings(CSK) will play their 3rd game of the tournament against the Delhi Capitals(DC), playing their 2nd. MS Dhoni was the center point of discussion after CSK ‘s loss against RR, while Shreyas Iyer and DC will sweat on the availability of R Ashwin, who was injured.
The CSK did not have the best of games against the RR, losing a high scoring game by 16 runs. After a rather poor performance with the ball, especially by Piyush Chawla, they strongly restricted them in the late overs. But the way Jofra Archer finished in the last over delivered by Ngidi took the game away from CSK. There was little intent shown when CSK came to bat, but it was too late in the innings.
‘DC should consider themselves a bit lucky that they came away victorious against KXIP after blowing away a dream start with the ball. They almost lost the game, but thanks to the umpire’s wrong one-short call and a poor finish by the Punjab batsman. R Ashwin injured himself after bowling an impactful over, and we should wait and see if he starts the game.
Key players from both sides:
Batsman – Faf Du Plessis, Shane Watson, Shreyas Iyer and Shikar Dhawan.
Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson are the only CSK batsmEn who seemed to play with the intent at the top of the order. So they will be crucial to the team’s chances against DC. With Rayudu not fully fit, he will miss the next few games, which means the duo should take more responsibility. The Indian duo of Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan will play an essential role in tackling CSK’s spinners in the middle overs.
All Rounders – Sam Curran and Marcus Stoinis.
Sam Curran has to be the pick of the CSK players in the 2 games they have played. He has taken 4 wickets and is being regularly promoted up the order by MS Dhoni. Marcus Stoinis changed the tide in DC’s favor by his batting coming lower down the order and finishing things off. With the ball, he was entrusted with bowling the last over and helped the team achieve a draw by picking up 2 wickets.
Bowlers – Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra/ R Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada.
Deepak Chahar, along with Sam Curran, has been standout in the bowling department in both the games and will look forward to this game. Imran Tahir might replace Chawla, who went for plenty and will be one to watch out if he plays this game. Ashwin may not play after his injury last game, and his probable replacement Amit Mishra is no mug with the ball either. One of the best fast bowlers, Rabada, who bowled a brilliant super over, is another player to watch out for.
Battles to look forward
- Kagiso Rabada vs Shane Watson
- Axar Patel vs MS Dhoni
- Imran Tahir vs Shreyas Iyer
As I said, they may look to replace Chawla with Tahir, and if they do so, his battle with DC captain Shreyas will be one to watch out for as he is a good player of spinners. There is a history between MS Dhoni and Axar Patel in IPL, and this match may give us a glimpse of the past. Shane Watson looked to be in decent touch in the last game and will look to build on to that going forward. Rabada will be a crucial bowler to negotiate for the former Australian opener.
Head to Head between Delhi and Chennai
- Matches Played: 20
- CSK Won: 14
- DC won: 6
Significant Approaching Milestones
17- Faf Du Plessis need 17 more to score 2000 IPL career runs.
Match conditions
Venue: Dubai international Stadium, Dubai.
Date & Timings: September 25, 2020, at 7.30 PM IST.
Weather: Clear with the temperature around 34 C.
Pitch: Likely to be on the slower side with possible due later on.
