IPL 2023, RR vs CSK: Rajasthan Royals has task cut out against rampaging Chennai Super Kings

Smarting from back-to-back defeats, former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR) would hope to bounce back with a win against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in its 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) match at home on Thursday. Still, it will be easier said than done, as the MS Dhoni-led team has been on a rampage with three victories on the trot.

With their top-order comprising Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube firing together most of the time, CSK has notched up three easy wins. At the same time, the Royals have lost their last two matches. Thursday's match is between CSK's top-order batters and the world-class spinners of the Royals.

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Conway is the second most prolific batter so far this season with 314 runs from seven matches, while a "transformed" Rahane, who hit a 71 not out off just 29 balls against former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday, has been in devastating form with 209 runs from five games, at an astonishing strike rate of 199.04, the highest among the batters.

The Royals can take a bit of solace from the fact they emerged victorious in their first meeting of this season against CSK. However, even then, CSK nearly pulled off a win as its talisman Dhoni turned the clock back with his batting before going down by three runs in front of its home crowd.

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However, things are different now, with Chennai registering its fifth win against KKR at the Eden Gardens on Sunday to grab the top position in the standings with 10 points. A win for CSK at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Thursday will brighten its playoff prospects further. The Super Kings, a four-time winner, have the personnel to humble the Royals in their backyard.

Having suffered two consecutive losses, the Royals will be desperate to get their campaign back on track with a clinical performance against the visitors from Chennai. For the Royals to do well, it is imperative that Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Sanju Samson deliver with the bat and then, on a pitch that has help for the slower bowlers, hope that the seasoned spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal fire. They may be playing at their base, but the Royals can expect plenty of home team fans at the stands rooting for CSK skipper Dhoni, who is probably appearing in his last IPL season, just like it happened in Kolkata a few days back.

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Squads:
CSK: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c & wk), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Sisanda Magala, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Ahay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mitchell Santner, Subharnshu Senapati, Simarjeet Singh, Matheesa Pathirana, Mahesh Theekshana, Bhagath Verma, Prashant Solanki, Shaikh Rasheed and Tushar Deshpande.
RR: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Abdul Basith, Murugan Ashwin, Ravichandran Ashwin, KM Asif, Trent Boult, Jos Buttler, KC Cariappa, Yuzvendra Chahal, Donovan Ferreira, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Obed McCoy, Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Kunal Singh Rathore, Joe Root, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Kuldeep Sen, Akash Vasisht, Kuldip Yadav and Adam Zampa.

Match details
Date and day: April 27, 2023 (Thursday)
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and other Star Sports regional language channels - Also available in HD
Where to watch (Online): JioCinema