Match Preview – CSK vs PBKS 49th Match, IPL

Match details

Chennai Super Kings (fourth) vs Punjab Kings (eighth)
Chennai, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Gaikwad’s new gear

The advantages of home comforts. The familiarity, close circles and minimal travel and make a difference in a hectic IPL schedule.

What stands out is that Ruturaj’s game has not changed while shifting gears. He has been relying on fours more than sixes, he chooses his aggressive shots carefully, and his control percentage stands at 85.40% in the powerplay this IPL, the best after 46 games this season. His scores and scoring rates bode well for CSK because whenever Gaikwad hits a fifty, their chances of winning the game go up to 73.68%.

CSK have scored over 200 batting first in two of their last three games but they may need a lot more against a fired-up opposition. PBKS’ top order finally showed up in Kolkata, meaning it wasn’t just ShAshutosh (Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma) getting their runs. A return to form for Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh may have come a bit too late for their playoff chances, but another cracking start from them will complement the PBKS bowling unit, which has conceded 200 or more just once in IPL 2024.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings WLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings WLLLL

Team news and impact player strategy

Chennai Super Kings
This will be Mustafizur’s last game. He flies home for Bangladesh’s T20Is against Zimbabwe starting May 3. They’re unlikely to make any changes to the XI or XII with Ajinkya Rahane or Shivam Dube likely to be subbed in or out as the Impact Player for a bowler.

Probable XII 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Tushar Deshpande, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 Shardul Thakur

Probable XII: 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 5 Sam Curran (capt), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Harpreet Singh

In the spotlight – Ravindra Jadeja and Rilee Rossouw

Stats that matter

Pitch and conditions

The last four games at Chepauk have favoured the batters, with scores regularly breaching the now not-so-insurmountable 200 mark, and sides batting first and chasing have won two games apiece. Dew, however, has been a regular factor, including on Tuesday night, which might still make bowling first the preferred choice. There is currently a heat warning in Chennai with temperatures expected to hit 37 degrees Celsius with a heavy humidity.

Quotes

“Mustafizur has been outstanding in conditions that probably don’t even suit his bowling. The surfaces here have been full of pace and there has been dew. His adjustment has been great. We understand international [duty] comes first, but he’s been a great addition to the side.”
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming

“From a young boy, he has grown into a man. Cricket-wise, he’s thinking a lot more about his game. At practice, he doesn’t over-train, which is a good sign.”
PBKS fast-bowling coach Charl Langeveldt on Arshdeep Singh