It’s the Chennai Super Kings against the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL‘s match 53 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Here’s our analysis.
The SWOT for CSK
Strengths: The bowling has lifted the team this season. Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran have been among the wickets. Piyush Chawla and Karn Sharma have done reasonably well. And Ravindra Jadeja has also slowly found some form.
Weaknesses: Their batting was lacking application and consistency in most of the clashes. However, things got better after they were eliminated from play-off contention. Opportunities: It’s the last game of the season, so MS Dhoni has the option to try out someone who hasn’t taken the field yet.
Threats: They have nothing left to lose.
The SWOT for KXIP
Strengths: They are up there with the most talented batting sides. KL Rahul is the IPL’s top run-getter this season and Chris Gayle has been in great form ever since he joined the eleven. Nicholas Pooran is fearless and Mandeep Singh has shown great strength. Mayank Agarwal’s injury has robbed them of another reliable batter. Weaknesses: Their bowling has hurt them time and again. After five straight wins, they lost a match to Rajasthan that they might have won if they had a strike bowler who was able to make inroads.
Opportunities: A win will get them to 14 points and allow them to fight for a play-off spot.
Threats: CSK have nothing to lose and are dangerous when playing only for their pride. KXIP need to be at their best to get past them.
Head to head:
Matches played: 23
Chennai Super Kings: 14
Kings XI Punjab: 9
Last five matches (most recent first):
Chennai Super Kings: W-W-L-L-L
Kings XI Punjab: L-W-W-W-W
What happened in the reverse fixture?
A record partnership of 181 between Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson helped CSK win the match by 10 wickets.
Deccan Herald’s Dream XI
KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nicholas Pooran, MS Dhoni, Sam Curran, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Mohammad Shami, Ravi Bishnoi
Team news
No injuries reported from either camp.
Ground conditions
The sky will be bright with the temperature around 32 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be about 43% with gentle winds.
Impact player for CSK
Ruturaj Gaikwad: He has impressed with his batting in the limited opportunities he’s received. He has two fifties from his last two matches. Many experts have also been impressed with his technique. His presence has changed the impact of CSK’s batting.
Impact player for KXIP
Chris Gayle: He has scored 276 runs in the last six matches at an average of 46 and has hit 23 sixes. Expect CSK to suffer if he gets going.
How to watch
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 3.30 PM IST.
