Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered as many defeats so far this season as the top three teams combined. This puts them in a position where chaos is the new normal for them. And their defeats have far-reaching effects rather than just defeats. They have deprived the side of any hope. MS Dhoni’s return as a captain did, for the time being, inspire in them some positivity, but it fizzled out as quickly as it came, credit to a crushing defeat by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) the other day at their home venue.
What do they do next? Who do they look to carry them out of misery? They meet Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in this fixture at their home. Having played only two games at this venue, and winning none, this makes the job more troublesome for the Chennai-based team.
And though LSG have their own share of problems, the biggest of all is that their captain’s bat hasn’t fired as it was expected of him, the team has fared pretty well with a winning streak of three games illuminating next to their names.
Team Overview:
LSG battled the now-table toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) in their last fixture and ended up humbling them with 6 wickets in hand. Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran have been a breath of fresh air for the team, in the absence of morale-boosting outings by their skipper, Rishabh Pant. Mitchell Marsh, who did not feature in the last game and is the third-highest run-getter this season, will likely get back into the team in this game, making LSG’s middle-order more power-packed. Shardul Thakur is just one wicket behind Noor Ahmad, and if all goes well, he could very likely get the cap off the Afghanistan rookie spinner. This means LSG have plenty to gain in this game, provided things go their way.
Interestingly, Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed are CSK’s only players currently who are lurking near the top guys this season. Noor has the purple cap and very deservingly so. Their batters, however, have been extraordinarily underwhelming this season. Their highest run-scorer is Rachin Ravindra, who has accumulated only 149 runs in six games so far. Ruturaj Gaikwad will stay sidelined this game as well, so Dhoni will draft in as the side’s captain, hoping to turn the side’s fortunes.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Chennai and Lucknow have played five games in the IPL against each other, and CSK have only one win in those games. With one match ending with rain playing spoilsport, LSG won the remaining three.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Ekana Stadium has huge boundaries, which means batters would focus more on getting runs through strike rotation. Fast bowlers will have a big role to play, with the track offering good bounce to them to trouble the batters. There is always a possibility of dew showing up in the latter part of the game and making stroke-making easy for the batters, so the toss-winning captain will be happy to chase.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
