IPL 2025 | CSK vs RR Match Preview: Chennai and Rajasthan in battle to avoid wooden spoon

CSK have not fared well with the bat this season as only Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja have crossed the 200-run mark with the willow while the bowlers have been better with the left-arm duo of Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed leading the bowling charts with 20 wickets and 14 wickets, respectively. The addition of Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis has strengthened the hitting quotient at the top and middle as Chennai, with a morale-boosting win behind them in their last game, looks to end a forgettable season with a couple of consolation victories.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan has been top-heavy in their batting department with Yashasvi Jaiswal the team’s top run-getter amassing 523 runs, including six fifties from 13 matches, at an average of 43.58. His partner Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been all-guns right from ball one with a strike rate of 219.10. Still, the Royals have not been able to finish off close matches falling short in crunch situations on a number of occasions including their 10-run loss to Punjab Kings in their last game on Sunday. Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel have runs behind them but have not been able to fire collectively with Shimron Hetmyer’s woeful form and skipper Sanju Samson’s absence during the initial stages affecting the team badly. With top wicket-takers Maheesh Theekshana and Jofra Archer out of action, the already weak Royals bowling line-up looks even more fragile. 

CSK Form: LLLLW

The CSK and RR fixture, over the years, has been a see-saw battle with both sides facing each other in 30 matches, including the summit clash in the first edition of IPL in 2008. CSK have won 16 games while RR have been victorious on 14 occasions. In their last head-to-head appearance, the Royals beat Chennai by six runs in Guwahati earlier this season.  

The Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a batter’s paradise with the surface and the small dimensions, along with the quick outfield, giving full value to their shots. The average score in an innings in the five matches played this season is 190 with teams going past the 200-run mark on three occasions. Out of the five matches, two games have been won by teams batting first and two by those batting second with one game ending in a tie.

CSK are expected to play the same team as they look to continue the momentum from their win against KKR in the last game in Kolkata. Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube and Urvil Patel are expected to retain their places after a good showing with the bat.

MS Dhoni (c), Ayush Mhatre, Devon Conway, Urvil Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Shivam Dube/Matheesha Pathirana 

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