Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings: A Preview

It’s a repeat of the 2008 IPL final. Rajasthan Royals take on Chennai Super Kings at The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The squads have changed, the stakes are different but the intensity and toughness of the battle remain the same. With Delhi virtually sealing a spot in the play-offs, the other 3 spots are still very much open and the winner of this clash would certainly inch closer to capturing one of those spots.

Rajasthan Royals have been formidable at home. However, a string of losses put their campaign off track. With a convincing win at The Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium the other night, they are back on track. What we saw the other night was demolition of the opposition and with Shane Watson coming into his own zone, Royals definitely have a greater chance to win this one.

Chennai on the other hand, have been very inconsistent and the manner in which they lost to MI is demoralizing to say the least. With Dhoni, Raina and Ashwin not firing as they have in the past, CSK find themselves in a spot of bother. With du Plessis performing well at the top, Hussey has been forced to sit out and CSK are struggling to finish games off. If CSK don’t find their rhythm soon, for the first time in IPL history they won’t be making it to the play-offs.

Key Players:

Rajasthan Royals

Ajinkya Rahane

The little man from Mumbai seems to have lost his touch and hasn’t really fired in the last couple of games. He would be keen to set things right straight away and doing it against a quality opposition like Chennai would provide the icing on the cake.

Shane Watson

He was a pale shadow of himself in the first game, but really got things going in the second. His knock of 91 proved why he is considered one the most dangerous batsmen currently in the world. With a knack for picking wickets regularly, Royals would need him to fire if they have to win this one.

Shaun Tait

5 wickets in 2 games at an average of 6.5. Definitely one of the best in T20s. His raw pace will test du Plessis and co. and if they see him through, they’ll fancy their chances. He’s got the outswingers and the toe crushers. Beware CSK!!!

Chennai Super Kings

Faf du Plessis

Some refer to him as the Chris Gayle of Chennai and very well he has earned that name through some superb knocks this IPL. He has given CSK superb starts and they would need a big one from him against The Royals. With Tait breathing fire, the South African will have to play out of his skin to win this battle that could well decide the match.

Albie Morkel

With the CSK bowling department not picking up enough wickets and the batting lacking a finisher, the onus is on Albie to do both the jobs. However, on various occassions he has shown what an impact player he is and if he can do it regularly, CSK are bound to succeed. With pressure mounting Albie would definitely like to silence his critics with a power-packed performance today.

Ravichandran Ashwin

He has been Dhoni’s key striker in the previous seasons. When your strike bowler is not among the wickets, the team definitely is struggling and this is the case with CSK. Ashwin has not got the early breakthroughs and against the Royals, he has to strike early and strike big. With Watson, Rahane, Shah and Hodge in the opposition, Ashwin would look to fox them with his off-spinners and the carrom ball.

Prediction

All in all, a great battle on the cards. It is Dravid vs Dhoni, Tait vs du-Plessis, Watson vs Ashwin. The team that wins these smaller battles will win the match. For the first time CSK go into the match as the underdogs and would be keen to turn things around. However, a Royals win seems more likely at this point of time!