Chennai Super Kings will be looking to remain at their resilient best while Royal Challengers Bangalore are very much in need of some consistency as both teams face off at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The Super Kings braved a top-order collapse and then with clever moves from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the bowlers too delivered as they beat defending champions Mumbai Indians without breaking much sweat earlier in the week.
Full points versus Virat Kohli’s men would help the Super Kings leapfrog Delhi Capitals to the top spot as they already have a superior net run rate.
Besides, this is a good time for Dhoni and his teammates to have a crack at RCB, who were handed one of their most embarrassing defeats ever in the IPL when Kolkata Knight Riders bundled them out for a paltry 92 and then chased the total with as many as 10 overs to spare.
In T20 cricket, nothing is guaranteed. A game can change in a matter of a few balls. But getting a hiding in their previous game does play at the back of the mind for a team going into their next match. So how quickly RCB can recover from that forgettable night in Abu Dhabi and prove that the game was an aberration remains to be seen.
The Super Kings would surely be looking to target RCB’s tentative batting, which is still heavily reliant on skipper Kohli and AB de Villiers. Dasher Glenn Maxwell was impressive in the first leg, but his problems against spin are something that opponents are quite aware of. And with due respect to opener Devdutt Padikkal’s talent, his form too has been erratic. Kohli himself too hasn’t been in best rhythm lately.
Their previous game also showed that the Super Kings don’t always have to bank on the stars in their batting line-up, as opener Ruturaj Gaikwad proved he’s capable of almost single-handedly guiding his team to a competitive total. For sure, the young opener would like to prove that his unbeaten 88 against the likes of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t a flash in the pan.
“It showed a lot of character from Rutu. He is an incredible talent we’ve been lucky enough to have and his demeanour is much like Mahi’s, actually. He’s very calm, composed and a really nice human being,” senior Super Kings batsman Robin Uthappa told the franchise website.
