CSK vs LSG Match Preview
Ruturaj Gaikwad was in superb form in the opening match as he played a blistering knock of 92 runs off 50 deliveries and the team will be banking on him to put up a similar performance here. However, he will need some support from the other top-order batsmen to take the pressure off him.
Devon Conway has some excellent T20 credentials and will need to step up here. The CSK has a strong middle order consisting of Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and Ambati Rayudu, while Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni will once again play the role of a finisher.
Talking about the bowling, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who had an excellent outing in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, seems to have carried his form in the IPL too as he picked up 3 wickets against the Titans. Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande didn’t have the best of times in the middle, with the former remaining wicketless and the latter getting taken for plenty of runs.
LSG has one of the strongest batting line-ups this season, at least on paper, and will be banking on the batsmen to win matches for them.
With Quinton de Kock unavailable for the first few matches, the onus of providing the team with a good start will lie on skipper KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers. Rahul had an excellent outing in the previous season where he scored 616 runs and was the second-highest run-getter of the tournament. Kyle Mayers, who is making his IPL debut this season was quite impressive as he scored 73 off just 38 deliveries and will be hoping to put up a similar performance here.
The LSG has a plethora of all-rounders, including Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, and Ayush Badoni, and will be relying on them to score runs in the middle overs. The team has splurged ₹ 16 crores on Nicholas Pooran, who can play an important role as the finisher. The quicker bowlers did an excellent job in the last match and Mark Wood was particularly impressive as he picked up a fifer in his debut game for the LSG.
Weather Report
The skies are expected to remain clear but the temperatures will be on the warmer side with a lot of humidity.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is generally considered good for batting and has seen an average first-inning score of around 170. The surface is pretty dry with no grass and therefore, the quicker bowlers are likely to struggle here. The pitch tends to get some cracks as the overs progress, and the spinners will get some turn, especially in the second innings.
Notable stats
Moeen Ali’s Economical Bowling
Moeen Ali has played 25 matches for the CSK in the IPL and has been quite economical with his bowling. He has picked up 14 wickets so far and has given away runs at just 6.49 runs per over.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
CSK vs LSG Probable 11
CSK Playing 11
- Devon Conway
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Ben Stokes
- Moeen Ali
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Ambati Rayudu
- Shivam Dubey
- MS Dhoni (C)
- Mitchell Santner
- Deepak Chahar
- Rajvardhan Hangargekar
LSG Playing 11
- KL Rahul (C)
- Marcus Stoinis
- Kyle Mayers
- Nicholas Pooran (Wk)
- Krunal Pandya
- Deepak Hooda
- Ayush Badoni
- Mark Wood
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Avesh Khan
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Chennai Super Kings to win here. They are returning to their home ground after a long gap and will have the full support of a raucous crowd to pump them up. The team has an excellent record at home and they will be looking to maintain that. They have the perfect mix of young and experienced players in the batting department, which is capable of scoring a big total.
Top Picks
Ruturaj Gaikwad: Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a consistent opener for the CSK over the past few seasons and has continued with his good form in the current season too. In his 37 IPL appearances, Gaikwad has scored 1299 runs at an average of 39.36 and a strike rate of 133.09.
Ravindra Jadeja: A veteran of the IPL, Jadeja is indispensable for any team thanks to his electric presence on the field. Over the years, Jadeja has scored 2503 runs in the IPL and has also picked up 133 wickets.
Nicholas Pooran: Known for his aggressive style of batting, Nicholas Pooran can play the role of a finisher to perfection. In his IPL career, Pooran has scored 948 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 151.92.
CSK vs LSG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: N Pooran, M Dhoni
Batters: R Gaikwad (C), D Hooda
All-rounders: R Jadeja (VC), B Stokes, M Ali, K Mayers
Bowlers: D Chahar, M Wood, R Bishnoi
