IPL 2021 | CSK will be keen to get going against PBKS

Rahul’s will be a more confident unit

April 15, 2021 11:43 pm | Updated April 16, 2021 08:01 am IST - MUMBAI

Arshdeep and Rahul.

Arshdeep and Rahul.

In the first seven days of the Indian Premier League, they played a solitary match. In the next six, both the teams will feature in three games each, starting with a face-off between them on Friday. While the Lions from Chennai will be hoping to get their campaign going after a lacklustre opening, the Kings from Punjab will be keen to switch gears after a nervous win.

Having earned a victory in a tight finish, something that K.L. Rahul’s outfit failed to do consistently in the latter half of IPL 2020, Punjab Kings will return to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, a much more confident lot.

Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, would be thinking about getting its act together and opening its account.

Right combination

The key will obviously be to get the right combination. But M.S. Dhoni’s men will be unable to field the ideal combination, with the pace duo of Lungi Ngidi and Jason Behrendorff still serving mandatory quarantine.

As a result, it will be interesting to see whether CSK accommodate Imran Tahir, the veteran leggie, to bolster its wicket-taking abilities. The lack of attacking bowling options, especially with the dew at the Wankhede Stadium making life difficult for finger-spinners, was one of the vital aspects of CSK’s inability to defend a total of 188 in its opener against Delhi Capitals.

Having surrendered meekly to a team led by a younger wicketkeeper-batsman, Dhoni will be keen to prevent that ignominy against another unit led by a batsman-keeper.

PBKS will be hoping that the new signings — Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith — adapt to bowling with a wet ball, after conceding 104 runs off their eight overs combined.

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