The Chennai Super Kings face the Rajasthan Royals in match 37 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Here’s our analysis.
The SWOT for CSK
Strengths: CSK have depth in their bowling, which allowed them to drag the match against the Delhi Capitals into the last over. Dwayne Bravo’s injury then messed a match that they should have won. The bowling has been pretty good without using the skills of Imran Tahir.
Weaknesses: The batting continues to have problems. Shane Watson has been a disappointment and the pressure is on Faf du Plessis in every match. Ambati Rayudu has clicked here and there but it’s not been enough. MS Dhoni does not seem to have the match-winning finishing skills of old. And Kedar Jadhav has been off-colour all season.
Opportunities: Dwayne Bravo’s injury will force a change of plans. Either Imran Tahir or Mitchell Santner will need to come in. Tahir is one of the best spinners around but Santner is a better option if CSK want another all-rounder. That might give Santner the edge.
Threats: It is now or never for MS Dhoni. He needs to either write this season off or fight till the end. With just three wins from nine matches, it is one of their worst performances in recent years. CSK have to win all five remaining matches to give themselves a chance at the play-offs.
The SWOT for RR
Strengths: The strong batting core has turned out to be quite frail. On the positive side, Robin Uthappa found some form in his preferred opening slot in the last match. Steve Smith has three fifties but is still hunting for his best touch. Rahul Tewatia has stolen some games for RR down the order but he can’t do it every time. And Sanju Samson has a bad habit of flattering to deceive every year.
Weaknesses: Apart from Jofra Archer, the other bowlers haven’t been able to take wickets. The pacer has twice as many wickets as Rahul Tewatia and Shreyas Gopal. The Indian pacers have also been unreliable.
Opportunities: Uthappa should probably continue as an opener. He gave RR a good start in the last match. It’s a tough call on whether Ben Stokes should continue as an opener.
Threats: RR also have five must-win matches to go. The team’s performances so far don’t inspire a lot of confidence in what they can do.
Head to head:
Matches played: 23
Chennai Super Kings: 14
Rajasthan Royals: 9
Last five matches:
Chennai Super Kings: L-W-L-L-W
Rajasthan Royals: L-L-W-L-L
What happened in the reverse fixture?
Rajasthan won a battle of sixes in Sharjah by 16 runs.
Deccan Herald’s Dream XI
Faf du Plessis, Ben Stokes, Robin Uthappa, Steve Smith, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shardul Thakur, Kartik Tyagi, Karn Sharma
Team news
CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo could be out for a while due to a groin injury. No injuries reported from the RR camp.
Ground conditions
The sky will be clear with the temperature around 27 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be about 62% with a light wind.
Impact player for CSK
Sam Curran: The 22-year-old is a valuable part of the team as he’s a strong competitor. He can bat anywhere and can bowl whenever required. He is also a great fielder.
Impact player for RR
Jofra Archer: The onus of wickets is on Jofra Archer. On his day, he can be devastating. With 12 wickets so far, he will need to make an impact.
