IPL 2021: CSK vs DC: Match 2, Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Preview

MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are all set to start their campaign in the 2021 IPL after a horrendous campaign last season. The fact that they have Suresh Raina back in the scheme of things should bolster their batting lineup, which looked out of sorts last time around.

Their first game is against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday, April 10 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Capitals, on the other hand, became the runners-up last season and they would be hoping for a winning start.

However, against CSK, the Delhi-based franchise doesn’t quite have the best of records. Moreover, they also won’t be having the services of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje as the South African fast bowling duo is busy serving their quarantine period after the home ODIs against Pakistan.

Match Details

Match – Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals – 2nd match

Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Time – 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has been an absolute belter for batting over the years. Even scores of above 200 can’t be deemed safe at the venue. Chasing should be the way forward as the track won’t be expected to change much. The playing conditions would be clear with the temperature around 30 degrees Celsius. There are no chances of rain.

Avg score: 176 (7 T20s at the Wankhede in IPL 2019)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 4, Lost – 2, Tied – 1

Probable Playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings

Robin Uthappa/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf Du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C and WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali/Imran Tahir, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar

Bench: Robin Uthappa/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali/Imran Tahir, KM Asif, Bhagath Verma, C Hari Nishanth, Narayan Jagadeesan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Karn Sharma

Delhi Capitals

Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (C and WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes/Tom Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma

Bench: Chris Woakes/Tom Curran, Ajinkya Rahane, Avesh Khan, Praveen Dubey, Lukman Meriwala, Axar Patel, Ripal Patel, Manimaran Siddharth, Vishnu Vinod, Lalit Yadav.

Head-to-Head

Overall

Played – 23 | Chennai Super Kings – 15 | Delhi Capitals – 8 |N/R – 0

At neutral venues

Played – 8 | Chennai Super Kings – 4 | Delhi Capitals – 4 |N/R – 0

Probable best batsman of the match

Faf du Plessis- Chennai Super Kings

Faf du Plessis was one of the Super Kings’ gun batsmen in the previous edition. Though his team faltered, the right-hander played well. Against the Capitals, Faf has scored 331 runs at an average of 33.10 with two half-centuries. The onus will be on him to take CSK off to a steady start in the powerplay.

Probable best bowler of the match

Ravi Ashwin– Delhi Capitals

The pitch may not be favourable for spin-bowling, but with his experience, Ravi Ashwin can do some damage if not a whole lot. The tweaker has picked 21 wickets against the Mumbai-based franchise at a frugal economy rate of 6.59. The fact that he can bowl at any stage of a game makes him a useful prospect.

Today’s match prediction: The team, batting second to win the match.

Scenario 1

Toss: Chennai win the toss and bowl

Powerplay score – 55-60

First innings score – 175-195

Result – Chennai win the match

Scenario 2

Toss – Delhi win the toss and bowl

Powerplay score – 50-55

First innings score – 170-190

Result – Delhi win the match

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.