Both Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings will want to secure hard-earned positions

Both Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings will want to secure hard-earned positions

FPJ BureauUpdated: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 08:29 PM IST
article-image

Chennai: : Their net run-rate slipping into negative after a defeat against Mumbai Indians, defending champions Chennai Super Kings will be keen to get back to No. 1 spot when they take on current table-toppers Delhi Capitals in an IPL match here on Wednesday. An interesting contest is on the cards between two current top teams and a win for either side will help it consolidate its position and ultimately could have a bearing on where it finishes in the final standings.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni-less CSK went down rather tamely to Mumbai Indians in their last game, which saw their net run-rate falling. Now with just two games left in the league stage, CSK will look to roar back with victories to seal a spot in the top two and get the home comfort in Qualifier 1. Without his inspiring presence, CSK’s batting collapsed against MI and they lost the game by 46 runs to surrender their position at the top of the points table to Delhi. With 16 points from 12 games, CSK will be hoping that their talismanic captain recovers from the bout of fever, which forced him to sit out the MI fixture, and be ready to feature in the last home match of the league phase.

Also, the home team will be expecting influential all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to be back in the mix too. Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, would be high on confidence having posted four wins in their last five matches.  Young Shreyas Iyer has done a good job of leading the team, which also has 16 points from 12 games, and has scored important runs.  He will be keen to put on some valuable runs on board against the formidable CSK and would also expect Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant to find ways to score on a sluggish Chepauk track. It will be fascinating to see how the league’s top wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada does on CSK’s home turf, traditionally known to offer help to slow bowlers.  The spin-heavy CSK led by Imran Tahir and Harbhajan Singh could prove quite a handful for Dhawan & Co. and how they cope with that would determine the game’s outcome, as would the Delhi tweakers performance.

Probable XI

Delhi Capitals
Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Colin Ingram, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Axar Patel, Chris Morris, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma.

Chennai Super Kings
Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C, WK), Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh,Imran Tahir.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni doubtful for today’s match

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming Tuesday said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had been “pretty sick” last week and a call on his participation in the game against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday will be taken before the toss. “Dhoni is progressing and he’s been pretty sick during this week. We will make a call on him tomorrow. He is progressing which is good,” Fleming told reporters on eve of the game against Delhi Capitals.

Dhoni didn’t take part in Tuesday’s training session and also missed the practice on Monday. He also said the performance in the game against Mumbai Indians (which CSK lost) on April 26 was not due to the couple of changes forced on the team with Dhoni being ruled out for the second time this season. “We had a couple of changes forced upon us in the last game, but the performance was not due to the fact that we had made those changes. We are more comfortable going into this game. We have been pretty good, from success-wise, here at Chepauk.

RECENT STORIES

India-Pakistan Bilateral Cricket In Australia?

India-Pakistan Bilateral Cricket In Australia?

WATCH: Indian Cricket Fans Offer Milk To Posters Of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In Pune; Prayers Held...

WATCH: Indian Cricket Fans Offer Milk To Posters Of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In Pune; Prayers Held...

WATCH: Sara Tendulkar & Shubman Gill Avoid Getting Photographed Together At Jio World Plaza Event In...

WATCH: Sara Tendulkar & Shubman Gill Avoid Getting Photographed Together At Jio World Plaza Event In...

Virender Sehwag Birthday Special: Doting Dad Moments Of The Cricketer With Sons Aryavir And Vedant

Virender Sehwag Birthday Special: Doting Dad Moments Of The Cricketer With Sons Aryavir And Vedant

Washington Sundar Birthday Special: Interesting Facts About India's Left-Handed Top-Order Batsman

Washington Sundar Birthday Special: Interesting Facts About India's Left-Handed Top-Order Batsman