CSK, Delhi Capitals square off in battle for top spot

With 16 points from 12 games, CSK will be hoping that their captain MS Dhoni recovers from the bout of fever which prevented him from their last fixture against MI.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and table-toppers Delhi Capitals (DC) have already sealed their place in the playoffs, but it will be CSK who will be keen to get back to No. 1 when both teams square off in match 50 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2019) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.

With Mumbai Indians (MI) having beaten CSK twice, the latest coming in their previous match, the defending champions’ net run-rate slipped into negative. A win will help both teams consolidate its position at the top, which CSK would prefer so that they can get home advantage in Qualifier 1.

A MS Dhoni-less CSK went down rather tamely to MI in their previous match which failed to live up to the epithet of IPL’s El Clasico. None of the batsmen chipped in which saw the home side all out for 109, chasing 156. That huge defeat not only saw CSK register their fourth loss, but they also surrendered their position at the top to Delhi Capitals, a side that has surely shed the Daredevils tag.

CSK will hope that Dhoni recovers from his bout of fever and be ready to lead the side in what would be their last home fixture of the league phase.

Delhi on the other hand are oozing with confidence having notched up four wins in their last five matches. Shreyas Iyer has done a fabulous job of leading a young DC unit, which also has 16 points from 12 games. (POINTS TABLE)

It will be interesting to see how the Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada goes about his business on CSK’s home turf, traditionally known to offer help to slow bowlers. (Purple Cap holder’s list here)

While DC will hope to remain on top, CSK by no means will allow another defeat to dent their losing streak further. An interesting clash awaits in Chennai!

What: Match 50, Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals

When: May 1 (Wednesday)

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Weather: Cloudy skies with a maximum temperature of 36 degrees Celsius

Time: 8 pm IST

On TV: Star Network (in India)

You can also follow LIVE coverage of the match on CricketCountry (Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals: SCORECARD)

Teams

Chennai Super Kings

With Murali Vijay not providing that much of a thrust at the top of the innings, expect Faf du Plessis to open the innings along with the experienced Shane Watson. The middle order will pretty much be the same with Ambati Rayudu keeping wickets if Dhoni’s fever still persists, Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav. Ravindra Jadeja may be back in place of Mitchell Santner to accompany Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir in the spin department.

Probable XI: 1. Faf du Plessis, 2. Shane Watson, 3. Suresh Raina (captain), 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Kedar Jadhav, 6. Dhruv Shorey, 7. Dwayne Bravo, 8. Ravindra Jadeja, 9. Harbhajan Singh, 10. Imran Tahir, 11. Deepak Chahar

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals will probably go unchanged for this game. A lot will depend on Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan and captain Shreyas Iyer at the top. Rishabh Pant, Colin Ingram and Sherfane Rutherford will helm the middle order. Amit Mishra, Axar Patel and Sandeep Lamichanne will be crucial on the slow Chepauk track with fast bowling assistance coming from Kagiso Rabada and the experienced Ishant Sharma.

Probable XI: 1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Shreyas Iyer (captain), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Colin Ingram, 6. Sherfane Rutherford, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Amit Mishra, 10. Sandeep Lamichanne, 11. Ishant Sharma

Head-to-head record

Number of times played: 19

CSK wins: 13

DC wins: 6

No result: 0

Tie: 0

Quotes

“We have been losing lot of wickets in the powerplay. We need to sit and decide what to do. Still a long way to go, two games, one or two wins and we go top of the table. We haven’t done well as a batting unit, need to regroup with the team.” Suresh Raina

“We are going to maintain the same intensity and mindset for the rest of the tournament. We were termed as the underdogs before the start of the tournament and before the start of every match we think the same.” Shreyas Iyer

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