IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for RR vs CSK match

Rajasthan Royals (RR) go up against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 37th game of IPL 2023 on Thursday (April 27) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

RR won the reverse fixture at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and it was quite the achievement, considering how dominant CSK has been this season. MS Dhoni and Co. are on a roll, though, and will back themselves to beat RR on home turf.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson's side come into the game needing a win after losing their last two games against LSG and RCB. While it may not see as many runs scored as in recent games, this should still be a cracking encounter. Let's now look at three differential picks for RR-CSK Dream11 contests.

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#3 Akash Singh (CSK)

CSK were in a spot of bother when one of their finds of last season, Mukesh Choudhary, was ruled out of IPL 2023 with an injury. However, his replacement, Akash Singh, has allayed those fears with stellar performances.

The left-arm quick has picked up five wickets in four games at a decent economy rate of 8.64, considering he has bowled in the powerplay against some attacking batters on batter-friendly surfaces.

It has been a toss-up between CSK's bowlers every game, with Ravindra Jadeja being the only bowler who has consistently delivered in every game. While Tushar Deshpande and Theekshana seem more likely to pick up wickets, ignore Akash Singh or even Matheesha Pathirana at your own peril, as they can be decent Dream11 differentials.

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#2 Shimron Hetmyer (RR)

RR need Shimron Hetmyer to come good in this game.

Shimron Hetmyer's role in the RR batting lineup might see him walk out to bat at No. 5 or 6. While that may not always be ideal from a Fantasy cricket point of view, he's still capable of hauling big, as he has shown this season.

On a ground where boundary hitting isn't easy, it's powerful six-hitters like Hetmyer who often make the difference, with their extra in-built power helping the ball clear the fence when sheer timing alone doesn't suffice. RR will definitely need him to come good at this venue after his cheap dismissal against LSG, especially if they're chasing.

Apart from what he can do with the bat, Hetmyer is someone who's usually placed at the fielding hotspots, and he could also walk away with some handy catch points.

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#1 Moeen Ali (CSK)

CSK's dependency on Moeen Ali's batting and bowling has reduced in IPL 2023.

It has been a while since Moeen Ali dropped a game-changing performance this season, and his stock has dipped in Dream11 as a result. The main reason why he hasn't been able to pick up points is that he hasn't gotten enough time to bat while also not getting more than 1-2 overs consistently in every game. The Impact Sub rule is also a factor for his reduced role in the team this season.

However, on a spin-friendly surface against an RR top order that has three left-hand batters, Dhoni is likely to back Moeen to send down his full quota of overs. RR are also likely to have something planned for the in-form CSK batting order, and on a tough wicket, they might not be as successful as they were at the Chinnaswamy and Eden Gardens.

Moeen Ali is likely to get an opportunity to deliver with both bat and ball, and he's likely to take it. He should be in the conversation for being a differential captaincy pick in Dream11 contests.