The big billing on Super Saturday will be the Southern derby where Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore will clash for the first time this season in Dubai. While both teams have been middling at best, CSK comes into the contest as the underdog after just two wins from four games.
The build-up
After snapping its three-match losing streak with a 10-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab, CSK once again produced a poor batting performance coupled with questionable strategy to lose to KKR by 10 runs in its last game.
The middle-order is woefully out of form including M.S. Dhoni and how it tackles the RCB bowling - not the best in the tournament - is going to determine the game.
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For RCB, despite its 59-run loss to Delhi Capitals in its last game, the team has played some good cricket so far. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar have been very impressive but its pacers have struggled leaking runs.
Considering CSK’s struggle with its batting unit, RCB will have an upper hand.
The key men
With Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis among runs opening the innings, a lot will depend on Ambati Rayudu to hold the middle order together. He might have to adapt to the situation and play multiple roles because the middle order can’t be trusted.
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For RCB, if its pacers Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini can rattle the CSK top order, then the other bowlers can apply squeeze in the middle overs without pressure.
With the bat, Aaron Finch is due for a big one and has been under the radar thanks to Devdutt Padikal’s tremendous form.
Squads
Chennai Super Kings: Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Kedar Jadhav, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla, Lungi Ngidi, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur, Monu Kumar, Mitchell Santner, R. Sai Kishore, N Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers, Chris Morris, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shivam Dubey, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Adam Zampa, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Dale Steyn, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Mann Singh, Isuru Udana, Devdutt Padikkal, Shahbaz Ahamad, Joshua Philippe, Pavan Deshpande.
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