NEW DELHI: After a crushing defeat against

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to regroup against an equally struggling Rajasthan Royals (RR) on a slower track in their next IPL clash. RCB’s dominant win at Chepauk exposed CSK’s vulnerabilities, particularly in chasing big totals, making this encounter crucial for Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming was visibly frustrated with Chepauk’s conditions, which deviated from their usual formula of defending modest totals or chasing down small targets.
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Their current batting lineup, with MS Dhoni now a designated tail-ender at No. 9 due to Impact Substitution, faltered when the target exceeded 175. Despite Dhoni’s entertaining 30 not out off 16 balls, his late arrival did little to impact the game.

However, against RR, CSK might find some relief on a track that suits their style. Rajasthan, under an inexperienced Riyan Parag, has its own share of struggles. Their bowling attack lacks firepower, and their Indian pacers—Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma—haven’t been convincing. Without a star overseas batter like Jos Buttler, RR’s batting also appears vulnerable, especially on turning wickets.

For CSK, Matheesha Pathirana and Noor Ahmed have been bright spots, but the Indian bowling contingent, including Khaleel Ahmed, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja, has looked far from invincible. However, Ashwin and Jadeja’s experience could come in handy against an RR batting lineup that thrives on pace but might struggle against spin-friendly conditions.

With neither team at their best, this match presents an opportunity for CSK to exploit RR’s weaknesses. In a battle between two underperforming sides, Chennai holds a slight edge.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (stand-in captain), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.
Match starts at 7.30 pm.