IPL 2019 – Match 1: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – CSK Predicted Playing XI

The twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will kick off with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This ‘El Classico of the IPL’ will be played at the Chepauk as cricket returns to Chennai after a while. Both these teams look great on the paper and it should be a thrilling contest.

The stadium is expected to be filled up with Yellow in this ‘MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli’ classic. The Super Kings defeated the Challengers in both the games they played in 2018. The ‘Men in Yellow’ look greatly balanced with their squad and will hope to make a roaring start. However, they have got to make a few decisions considering the availability of players and various other factors.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for Chennai Super Kings (CSK):

Openers (Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson)

Chennai is likely to go forward with their trusted opening pair for the first match. Ambati ‘Baahubali’ Rayudu hasn’t had the best of times recently. But, he has been sweating it out at the CSK nets and will hope to gain his touch back. The initial few games are crucial for him as the World Cup 2019 squad will be picked soon. He shouldn’t pressurise himself much and should try to play his natural game.

Rayudu will have the ‘Watto Power’ at the other end. Both Shane Watson and Rayudu complement each other really well. Watson is coming off a good PSL season and fared well in the BBL as well. Thus, he isn’t short of match practice and is in great form. He will enjoy batting on the Chennai pitch. If the need arises, he can also chip in with a few overs.

Middle Order (Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c)(wk), Sam Billings)

The Chennai Super Kings, as usual, will have Suresh Raina batting at three. The left-hander is just 15 runs shy of 5,000 IPL runs and will hope to be the first person to reach the milestone in the upcoming game. Raina hasn’t played a great deal of domestic cricket in the last one year but he becomes a completely different player after sporting the yellow jersey.

It has been confirmed that MS Dhoni will be batting in at number four. With some good quality batsmen coming after him who are all match-winners, the veteran can express himself freely. He will be looking to take a few risks – something that he cannot do when he is with the Indian team.

Sam Billings’ name popping up here might surprise a few. But it could be the English player who will make it into the eleven. Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Santner will arrive in India on 21st March or 22nd March. They might be jet-lagged and will require some time to adjust to the conditions. Thus, it gives the management a wonderful opportunity to test Billings. If Faf adjusts to the conditions soon enough, he will walk into the playing XI.

All Rounders (Kedar Jadhav, DJ Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja)

MS Dhoni likes having quite a few bowling options at his disposal in T20 cricket. Two of the top five batsmen (Watson, Raina) in this line-up can bowl. Apart from them, Kedar Jadhav can also create an impact with his low-arm action. The Chennai track offers assistance to the spinners and he should enjoy playing here. His services with the bat will also be crucial.

DJ Bravo isn’t the same kind of force he was with the ball. He gets too predictable nowadays with his slower balls. That is one aspect of his game he has to work upon. The Caribbean cricketer has the ability to turn the game around within no time with the bat. Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, will be more important with the ball. He is expected to provide a few economical overs in the middle. He also adds depth to the batting.

Bowling (Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, Mohit Sharma)

Deepak Chahar is a great exponent with the new ball. He can swing it both ways and bowls at a good pace. The pacer is likely to bowl three of his overs in the powerplay itself when the ball is new. He is also quite capable with the bat and can strike a few big blows.

When playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, a player like Imran Tahir is a must. The pitch will have a lot to offer for him and he fared well in the recent Sri Lanka ODI series. In the first T20I against Sri Lanka, he bowled a magical super over and got his team over the line. However, even he will be jet-lagged but he is the best overseas spinner that CSK has got.

Mohit Sharma is also back with the Chennai Super Kings. He could be playing a huge role in the death overs as he’s got quite a few variations.

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