IPL 2023 PREVIEW: RR vs CSK

The Chennai Super Kings are sitting pretty at the top of the points table with 5 wins in 7 matches. They have won their last 3 games on the trot and will be eyeing another win this match against the Royals. Their last defeat came against Rajasthan when they failed to chase down 176 runs despite the valiant efforts of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.

CSK batters are in great, especially the top 4 of Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube. A big knock is due from Gaikwad but he has been in good touch. The bowlers are also in excellent form, which is a great sign for the Men in Yellow. Akash Singh and Tushar Deshpande have been in good form in the power play while Matheesha Pathirana has been excellent in the death overs.

Rajasthan Royals are in the 3rd position with 4 wins in 3 games. They’ve lost their last two matches and will be eager to bounce back on the winning track. Sanju Samson has failed to get going in the last two games, which concerns the Royals. Jos Buttler also needs to be consistent at the top.

Their bowlers are in good form except Jason Holder who has been far from his best. The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal will play a key role in this game. They may bring in Adam Zampa as well for this match. Rajasthan is looking good as a team and it promises to be a thrilling contest when they take on the in-form Chennai Super Kings.

Probable XIs

Chennai:

Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Singh, Matheesha Pathirana

Impact Subs: Ambati Rayudu, Nishant Sindhu, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki

Rajasthan:

Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jason Holder/Adam Zampa, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Subs: Murugan Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, Akash Vashisht, Donavon Ferreira, KM Asif

Venue

Sawai Mansingh, Jaipur

Run scoring was not very easy in the first game played at this venue but it’s expected to play a little better in this match. There will be some movement for the pacers in the power play while the spinners will get something off the deck as well. The ground dimensions are decent which will key the bowlers in play. Teams will prefer chasing.

Total Matches: 48
Won Batting 1st: 16
Won Batting 2nd: 32
Tied: n/a

Average 1st Innings Score: 158 runs

Head-to-Head

CSK: 15
RR: 13

Form Update (last 5 innings)

Key Players and Fantasy Picks

Chennai

Devon Conway has scored four consecutive 50+ scores and is the 3rd highest run-scorer of the tournament with 314 runs at an average of 52.33 and has struck at 143.38. Conway has been very positive from the start of the innings and he will be a key batter for CSK.

Ravindra Jadeja scored 25* runs and picked up 2 wickets in the first game against the Royals. He has been in sublime form with the ball and will be a must-pick in fantasy cricket. Jadeja averages 43.8 against Rajasthan in 15 innings and has picked up 20 wickets against them @ 7.24.

Moeen Ali failed with the bat in the first meeting against Rajasthan but he has a decent record against them - 166 runs at an average of 33.2 and his strike rate is 144.3. Rajasthan has 3 left-hand batters in their top 5 and which makes Moeen a key bowler for CSK. He can tonk the ball as well if he gets the chance to bat.

Rajasthan

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler averages 53.2 and strikes at 146.3 against CSK. He scored 52 in the first game against Chennai. Buttler loves batting at Jaipur and has an excellent record against CSK. He is expected to do well in this match and will be the best batter in his team.

Ravichandran Ashwin

CSK’s batting unit will have 4 left-hand batters and that’s a great match-up for Ravichandran Ashwin. He exploited that quite well in the first game and picked up 2 wickets. He scored 30 runs as well. Ashwin will be an excellent pick for this game.

Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer has been in excellent form for Rajasthan in the lower middle order. He has been very consistent as their finisher and has scored runs in almost every game. He scored crucial 30 runs in the last game against CSK off just 18 deliveries. Hetmyer averages 33.07 and strikes at 146.34 against Chennai in 5 innings.

Differential Picks for Fantasy Cricket: Shivam Dube, Devdutt Padikkal, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, MS Dhoni, Akash Singh

Fantasy Suggestions

Disclaimer: We don’t guarantee 100% winning in fantasy cricket. Users are requested to create their own combinations using the tips and numbers provided.