Indian T20 League 2022 begins with a blockbuster clash that pits Chennai against Kolkata at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, March 26. The two sides last met in the Indian T20 League 2021 final, with Chennai emerging victorious and clinching the title.

Both sides are no strangers to success in the Indian T20 League, with Chennai having four titles to their name while Kolkata have clinched the coveted prize twice.

However, the head-to-head between the teams is dominated by Chennai, who have 17 wins in 25 meetings with Kolkata. The latter have won this fixture on eight occasions.

Ahead of the Indian T20 League 2022 season opener between the two teams, we look at a few key battles between the players from the opposing camps, which could decide the outcome of the contest.

Chennai vs Kolkata key player battles

MS Dhoni vs Varun Chakravarthy

While a player of MS Dhoni’s calibre can roll back the years in the blink of an eye, the former Chennai skipper has found it challenging to get going against Kolkata spinner Varun Chakravarthy in recent times. In fact, Chakravarthy has dismissed Dhoni in all three innings that he has bowled to the Chennai legend in the Indian T20 League.

Since Dhoni is known for being a good player of spin, his struggles against Chakravarthy come as somewhat of a surprise. Besides being dismissed three times in as many innings against the Kolkata spinner, Dhoni managed just 10 runs off the 12 balls he faced against Chakravarthy. If Dhoni does come in to provide Chennai with a flourishing touch to finish their innings, there is no doubt that Chakravarthy should be Kolkata’s go-to bowler.

MS Dhoni record vs Varun Chakravarthy
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
3	10	12	3	83.33

Ambati Rayudu vs Sunil Narine

Another veteran from Team Chennai who has uncharacteristically struggled against a spinner from Kolkata is middle-order batter Ambati Rayudu. For the most part, the right-hander has looked comfortable against spin but has generally struggled whenever facing the charismatic finger spin of Sunil Narine.

The man from the Caribbean has the edge over Rayudu in the head-to-head battle between the two players. While Narine has dismissed Rayudu thrice in 12 innings against Chennai in the Indian T20 League, what stands out even more is the Indian batter’s numbers against Narine. Rayudu has managed just 49 runs from 55 balls against Narine and is likely to have similar problems against the spinner come Saturday.  

Ambati Rayudu record vs Sunil Narine
Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
12	49	55	3	89.09

Dwayne Bravo vs Andre Russell

One more intriguing battle that we are likely to see in this contest is one between two teammates from the international stage. Andre Russell facing Dwayne Bravo has given cricket fans plenty of memories over the years, and there’s no reason why Indian T20 League 2022 should be any different when the two all-rounders from the Caribbean square off in the middle.

Numbers indicate that Russell enjoys batting against Bravo in their player battle. In four innings where Bravo has bowled to Russell, the Kolkata all-rounder has smashed 78 runs from 30 balls at a strike rate of 260 without ever being dismissed. Conversely, Russell has bowled 11 balls to Bravo over two innings, with the latter managing just 11 runs in that time and being dismissed once.

Dwayne Bravo vs Andre Russell
Batsmen	Bowler	Innings	Runs scored	Balls faced	Dismissed	Strike rate
Dwayne Bravo	Andre Russell	2	11	11	1	100.00
Andre Russell	Dwayne Bravo	4	78	30	0	260.0

Author: Andre Pitts

Featured photo: AFP / MANJUNATH KIRAN / ARUN SARKAR

From being a part of India’s World Cup squad in 2019 to not being considered for any format, all-rounder Vijay Shankar’s hasn’t had the best of times over the last few years.

After being picked for the World Cup for his ‘three-dimensional skills�?in former chief selector MSK Prasad’s words, Shankar soon found himself to be the hot topic on social media. Even the player whose spot he took, Ambati Rayudu wrote, "Just Ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the world cup" with reference to his omission. 

Two years on and Shankar still can’t seem to shrug off the �?-D�?tag entirely. His below-par returns in the Indian T20 League as well as domestic cricket hasn’t helped his cause either.

“I have no connection to that (3-D tag),�?Shankar said in an interaction with News18. 

“They gave me a tag randomly and made it viral. But after that (Rayudu) tweet, I played three games for India (in the World Cup) and did decently. I didn’t do anything bad. Even in the Indian T20 League, my batting orders have been different. A lot of people compare me to Rayudu, but the batting orders and conditions we play in are different.

“We talk well when we meet. There’s no personal issue between us. It just so happened that his tweet became viral. I definitely don’t have any grudge against Rayudu.�?/span>

Be it for Team Hyderabad in the Indian T20 League or Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket, Shankar has mostly batted at No. 5 or No. 6, meaning that he gets very little time to settle in and needs to add runs as quickly as he can. 

That was also the case for the all-rounder during his limited opportunities with the national team and while likening himself to star all-rounders Jacques Kallis and Shane Watson, Shankar insisted that he should be given a chance to bat higher up the order.

“If I have to score runs, I need to spend more time on the crease. So I’m not saying I want to open the batting. Just saying, even if I bat at No. 4 or 5, let it be one slot at least for domestic. And then if I don’t score runs, drop me, I’m okay. That’s what I have missed out in the last two years,�?the 30-year-old stated.

“I’m an all-rounder, but I’m known for my batting. So just because I’m an all-rounder, it shouldn’t be like I should bat only at No. 6 or 7. I can also be someone like Jacques Kallis or Shane Watson. They open the innings or bat at No. 3 and bowl. It’s not a compulsion that an all-rounder has to bat at No. 6-7. If I can score runs at the top, and pick wickets, it’s good for the team too, right?,�?he added.

Shankar last represented India in June 2019. The all-rounder has played 12 ODIs and nine T20Is for the Men in Blue.  

Featured photo: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

After the thrilling action over the weekend, the Indian T20 League is gearing up for another week of intense action, as teams continue to jostle for a place in the top four.

Over the past few days, we have seen players making a return to form or a comeback from injury or simply marking their return in the playing XI with a brilliant performance.

Over the next three matches, I'll be keeping a keen eye on these following players: 

Chennai �?Ambati Rayudu

He was brilliant in the season-opener against Mumbai and I had him primed for a big season in that #3 position vacated by the absence of Suresh Raina. He missed a few games through injury but overall he’s been excellent for Chennai. He has already notched up 237 runs in just seven outings with the bat and for someone who’s never been known for his big-hitting ability, he does have a decent strike rate of 129.50 this season. He played a valuable knock against Delhi after a top-order collapse and was a bit unlucky to end up on the losing side, but regardless, he’s been great and I expect him to continue in the same vein for the remainder of the season.

Rajasthan �?Robin Uthappa

Who doesn’t love a redemption ark? And we might be witnessing one with Robin Uthappa. He was having a pretty mediocre season and was even benched for youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal, but has been drafted back into the playing XI for the past few games. I don’t know what exactly prompted the decision, perhaps it was Uthappa being vocal about it to the team management, but he was sent to open in Rajasthan's last match and we saw a glimpse of the old Uthappa, who was so good for one of my teams, Kolkata, back in the day. He’s bought himself at least a couple of more innings as the opener with his performance against Bangalore and I hope he can capitalise on it.

Punjab �?Chris Gayle 

Punjab finally had Chris Gayle available to play and the Universe Boss showed why they were so desperate for his return to the starting XI. Batting in a new role at #3, Gayle smashed an entertaining half-century, playing a huge role in Punjab's victory over Bangalore and followed it up with a handy 21-ball 24 against Mumbai on Sunday. With Punjab’s middle-order struggle, I really believe Gayle can up the ante and take the team back to the winning ways. 

Delhi �?Axar Patel

One of the unsung heroes of Delhi's incredible season so far has been their lanky all-rounder, Axar Patel. He won them the game with the bat in their last game against Chennai, smashing Ravindra Jadeja for three sixes in the final over when Delhi needed 17. But what has truly gone unnoticed is how good he’s been with the ball for Delhi. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje may be the ones who are stacking up the wickets column for Delhi, but the pressure Axar builds in the middle overs with his tight bowling and economical spells has benefited the team and its pacers immensely. His economy this season is just 5.50, which is just mind-boggling considering how high-scoring the season has been. I really enjoy watching Axar bowl and he will certainly be one to watch out for from the Delhi team.

Kolkata �?Lockie Ferguson

The bowling action concerns of Sunil Narine forced Kolkata to do something I believe they should have done a while back, which is drafting Lockie Ferguson back in the playing XI. He was exceptional against Hyderabad, giving away just 15 runs in his four overs and also picking three wickets. His Super Over was simply sensational, bamboozling Warner with an off-speed delivery and then dismissing Abdul Samad with a peach. The Super Over may not count in the official statistics, but Lockie picked up five wickets in 4.3 overs for Kolkata while conceding just 17, by far the best I have seen him bowl in the Indian T20 League. Kolkata should persist with Ferguson and Pat Cummins as the two front-line pacers in the team.

Bangalore �?Chris Morris 

Bangalore raised a lot of eyebrows during the auction when they splurged big on Chris Morris, who spent the better part of the last two seasons on the bench at Delhi, but their decision is proving to be a masterstroke and the South African is delivering big time for Bangalore. So far in four matches, his economy rate is a scarcely believable 5.25, and he’s also picked up nine wickets, second behind Yuzvendra Chahal in the leading wicket-takers list for Bangalore this season. He's had only one opportunity with the bat so far and he ended up scoring 25 off eight balls in their loss against Punjab. Morris has elevated Bangalore to a different level since his return from injury and I expect him to continue his stellar form in the upcoming matches. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

A sensational bowling display followed by an assured performance with the bat saw Rajasthan register a comfortable seven-wicket win over Chennai.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

Chennai Jos-tled

Defending a modest total of 126, Chennai were in the hunt for early wickets and managed to get them, picking up three wickets in a space of two runs to reduce Rajasthan to 28/3. However, their hopes were quickly squashed by a sensational batting performance from Jos Buttler, who in his new role as the #5 batsman scored 70 off 48, seemingly batting on a different surface and guiding Rajasthan to a comfortable seven-wicket victory. 

Faf, Ambati, Jadeja and who?

Chennai's struggles with the bat continued as only one of the eight batsmen that had the opportunity to bat managed to score over 30 runs in the contest. Outside of Faf Du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu at the top of the batting order and Ravindra Jadeja towards its end, Chennai's batsmen are in horrible form. When at least two of these three fail to score well, Chennai usually finish with a rubbish score. While their bowling hasn’t been top-notch, it is their batting that has let them down miserably this season.

• Fans want Kedar Jadhav out of Chennai's starting XI

Rajasthan's rampant spin duo

While it was Chennai's spinners who were touted to bamboozle Rajasthan, the latter’s spin duo of Shreyas Gopal and all-rounder Rahul Tewatia flipped the script, bowling sensational spells that restricted Chennai to just 125 runs in their batting effort. Gopal was the pick of the bowlers on either side, giving away just 14 runs in his four overs while also dismissing the set Sam Curran. Tewatia, who has been Rajasthan's MVP this season, couldn’t play hero with the bat in this contest, but bowled a terrific spell of 1-18 in his quota of four overs.

Sanju Sam-sunk?

Rajasthan's Sanju Samson started the season with a 74 followed by an 85 and was seemingly poised to have a huge season. However, in the subsequent eight matches, Samson has scored 77 runs at a miserable average of 9.63, further illustrating how his inconsistency has hindered his progress and curbed his chances of playing for the Indian team. Samson has four games to redeem this season, however, given his current form, it seems far-fetched that he'd able to finish the campaign the way he kicked it off.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

One of the many ideas behind the Indian T20 League has been churning out the talents from the across the country, and now that we are into the 13th season of the competition, it is safe to say that it has duly served its purpose.

Right from its inaugural season in 2008 to the ongoing edition in the United Arab Emirates, young players have performed shoulder to shoulder with the senior member, and today, we look at four uncapped Indian players who scored most runs in their Indian T20 League debut.

Swapnil Asnodkar - 60 against Kolkata in 2008

In the inaugural season of the Indian T20 League, debutant Swapnil Asnodkar, playing for the eventual champions Rajasthan, opened the innings with veteran Graeme Smith. While the South African failed to get going, the then 24-year-old Asnodkar went on to score a fantastic 34-ball 60, an innings which included 10 fours and one six. Hitting at a strike rate of 176.47 - the best by any player in the game - his effort took Rajasthan all the way to 196/7 in 20 overs; a total that his team defended quite easily. The opener was rightly adjudged as the Man of the Match on the night.

Devdutt Padikkal - 56 against Hyderabad in 2020

20-year-old Devdutt Padikkal has been a revelation for Bangalore in the Indian T20 League, having scored 243 runs at 34.71 so far with three half-centuries already to his name. His best knock, however, came in Bangalore’s opening game against Hyderabad where the youngster went on to score 52 off 42 deliveries, hitting at a strike rate of 133.33. Padikkal not only scored a half-century but was also a perfect partner for his fellow opener Aaron Finch as the duo stitched a 90-run opening wicket stand. After putting 163/5 on board, Bangalore rode on the back of an excellent spell by spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to win the game by 10 runs.

Ambati Rayudu - 55 against Rajasthan in 2010

Batsman Ambati Rayudu made his Indian T20 League debut with Mumbai Indians in 2010, a season where he scored 356 runs at an average of 27.38. Coming on to bat as a No. 5 batsman against Rajasthan, Rayudu went on to score a 33-ball 55, scoring at a strike rate of 166.66. After the top order had failed to get runs, Rayudu combined with Saurabh Tiwary to stitch a 110-run stand to take Mumbai all the way to 212/6 in 20 overs. Rajasthan did their best to reach the target, but fell a mere four runs short. For Rayudu he went on to score runs quite consistently before finally being called into the T20I setup in 2014.

Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan - 54 against Delhi in 2008

Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, quite an unknown equity, played for team Chennai in the Indian T20 League and made his mark in the first game itself, scoring a 37-ball 54 against Delhi, a team that had the likes of Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik in their ranks. Vidyut’s knock included seven fours and one six, and riding on his back, Chennai posted 169 on board. Delhi, on their part, were brutal with the bat, with Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag taking them to 115 without losing a wicket. After the openers were gone, AB de Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan took the team all the way to glory.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07

After losing their last two matches, Chennai finally halted the bleeding with a win against Hyderabad on Tuesday at the Dubai International Stadium, this time defeating the one-time Indian T20 League winners by 20 runs.

After having won the toss and electing to bat, Chennai rode on the back of a late blitz by Ravindra Jadeja to put 167/6 on board after Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu had set the momentum. And as has been the trend so far this season, captain David Warner and Jonny Bairstow failed to give their team any sort of a headstart as Hyderabad's middle-order crumbled in the face of an excellent bowling effort from Chennai.

Having said that, a lot transpired throughout the game and here's what we learned from it:

Chennai’s tactical shift

There is no denying the fact that Sam Curran is one clean hitter of the ball, and Chennai decided to take the gamble as Kolkata did with Sunil Narine in the past. That plan almost worked out well for the three-time Indian T20 League winners before Sandeep Sharma bowled an absolute blinder to dismiss the England opener in the fifth over.

There are several facets to why Chennai decided to shuffle their opening pair. A fielding restriction in the opening overs works pretty well for Curran, who showed a glimpse of what he can offer, hitting Khaleel Ahmed for two fours and as many sixes in his over. It looks like Chennai’s initial plan was to let Faf du Plessis go slow but the South African, in fact, got out in the very first delivery he faced, registering his first duck in the Indian T20 League since 2014. As far as Watson is concerned, they needed his grunt in the second half of the play; something that he did alongside Ambati Rayudu, however, at a relatively slower pace.

Rayudu developing a trend

Ambati Rayudu was Watson’s partner in crime as the duo showed no mercy to Rashid Khan, ferociously hitting the Afghan leggie for 14 runs as he went for 30 in his four overs, a significant slump considering the standards he has set so far in the competition. Rayudu, however, failed to make the most of a friendly full-toss in the subsequent over as his shot was perfectly dealt by captain David Warner at long-off.

This was Rayudu’s third dismissal against a left-arm pacer in the six innings he has played thus far. Also, he has scored the fewest runs against them in the ongoing season, accumulating a mere 30 off 29 deliveries. Here’s the further bifurcation of his pattern:

BOWL TYPE	RUNS	BALLS	DISMISSALS
Left Arm Fast	30	29	3
Left Arm Spinner	32	21	0
Right Arm Fast	75	62	1
Right Arm Spinner	55	46	1

Table: Ambati Rayudu's dismissal in Indian T20 League 2020

Hyderabad putting too much pressure on Williamson

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow have been completely contrary to how they were last season. While Bairstow has indeed delivered at times, Warner - by his standards - has been atrociously sub-par. The duo has, in fact, scored a mere 587 runs in eight innings and that has resulted in a certain Kane Williamson playing under a lot a pressure. Tonight, against Chennai, the openers combined for just 23 runs and Manish Pandey, too, departed after scoring four. Priyam Garg tried to emulate what he did against Chennai the last time these sides met early in the season but the growing pressure got the better of the 19-year-old, leaving Williamson the lone survivor in the team.

Chennai, in the first innings, were in a similar position, losing both of their openers in the Powerplay overs, but Rayudu and Watson combined for 81 runs to take the team out of their misery. Hyderabad need to understand that they neither have Rayudu, Watson or even Ravindra Jadeja in their ranks. The point being, following the dismissal of their top-three batsmen, Hyderabad's batting unit is technically sterile, and they just cannot rely on Williamson every time to win them the games, as the New Zealand captain himself needs a partner at the other end who can at least maintain the position. The 30-year-old was Hyderabad's best player without a shadow of a doubt and it's a pity for him to be so short of the support he needs.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

A sensational batting performance in the final five overs of their innings followed by a disciplined performance from the bowlers saw Bangalore register a 37-run victory over Chennai.

Here are the key talking points from the contest:

Kohli carries the batting unit

After two quality knocks in his past two matches, Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli announced his entry in the race for the Orange Cap with a sensational knock of 90 off 52 balls. Kohli led his team by example and forged an incredible 76-run partnership with all-rounder Shivam Dube that saw Bangalore go from 93/4 midway through the 15^th over to 169 at the end of the innings. Kohli’s sensational knock proved to be the difference between the two sides on the day.

Ambati’s curious knock

After the early dismissals of openers Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson, veteran Ambati Rayudu was left to shoulder the responsibility of batting through the innings and guiding his team home. However, Rayudu’s complete lack of intent saw him go at only a run-a-ball right till the end of the 17^th over. He was finally dismissed in the 18^th for 42 runs off 40 balls while attempting a wild heave, ending what was a rather bizarre innings from Chennai’s perspective.

Morris magic on debut 

Bangalore were finally able to start their marquee signing from the auction, all-rounder Chris Morris, and his performance on debut proved just why the team was so keen on his services. The 33-year-old bowled with intent and stifled the Chennai batsmen for runs, recording incredible figures of 3-19 on debut. Morris also ran Chennai’s debutant Narayan Jagadeesan out with a brilliant throw in what was a dream debut for the veteran South African.

Is this the end?

After this defeat, Chennai, having played a game more, are four points behind fourth-placed Bangalore who have played a game fewer than them. Chennai are the only team to have qualified for the playoffs in every season that they played in the Indian T20 League. However, never has the possibility of missing the playoffs loomed so large over the three-time champions. With just seven games left, time is running out for Chennai to turn the tide around and rescue their proud record.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Indian T20 League

Chennai Super Kings will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Friday. The three-time champions suffered back-to-back defeats in the Indian Premier League (IPL) following their opening day win against Mumbai Indians. They fell short in successive run chases against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals respectively, making it imperative that they grab the bull by the horns when they face SRH.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, picked up their first win of the season in their last outing against Delhi Capitals and they will be confident about their chances of another victory on Friday. Following successive defeats to begin their campaign, SRH’s foreign batting contingent came together to play a big role in their first win of the season.

After a good start by David Warner and Jonny Bairstow in their last game, Kane Williamson �?playing his first match of IPL 2020 �?showed the team what they were missing with a crucial knock in the middle order. The 2016 IPL winners will be hoping for more of the same when they take on Chennai Super Kings in Dubai.

Chennai Super Kings dominate the head-to-head between the teams with nine wins compared to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s three but here we have a closer look at some of the battles and key players who could dictate the outcome of the contest.

Rayudu’s return a welcome shot in CSK's arm

Ambati Rayudu’s return will be warmly welcomed by the team, management and CSK’s fans alike. His return will certainly act as a boost for Chennai after consecutive defeats. In their only win of the season against Mumbai so far, Rayudu played a stellar knock, scoring 71 runs from 48 balls to deservedly win the Player of the Match award.

His replacement, Ruturaj Gaikwad struggled in CSK’s subsequent two matches, to say the least with a record of 5 runs at an average of 2.50 and a strike rate of just 45.45 further highlighting what a miss Rayudu has been. Add to that, the fact that Rayudu averages 49.67 against SRH �?his most against a current IPL team �?and it is easy to see why Chennai can’t wait to welcome him back into their playing XI. Since IPL 2018, Rayudu has scored 241 runs in 6 innings against SRH at an average of 60.25.

Versus	Matches	Runs	Average	S/R
Delhi Capitals	19	477	34.07	136.28
Kings XI Punjab	18	348	26.77	132.82
Kolkata Knight Riders	19	350	23.33	125.89
Mumbai Indians	7	182	30.33	123.81
Rajasthan Royals	16	331	27.58	135.1
Royal Challengers Bangalore	19	577	33.94	120.45
Sunrisers Hyderabad	14	447	49.67	134.63

Bhuvi could give SRH a good start at expense of Shane Watson

While Australian Shane Watson’s record against most Hyderabad’s bowlers makes for fine reading, the same cannot be said when he faces Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Indian swing bowler, in fact, has been a thorn in the side of the Australian having gotten the better of Watson on quite a few occasions. 

He has dismissed Watson thrice, having bowled to him 13 separate times in the IPL. Removing him from the crease isn’t the only way Bhuvneshwar has gotten the better of Watson with the hard-hitting Australian frequently struggling to score runs off the Indian pacer. From the 83 balls that Watson has faced against Bhuvneshwar, he has managed just 78 runs at a strike rate of 93.97.

Batsmen	Innings	Runs Conceded	Balls Bowled	Dismissed
Shane Watson	13	78	83	3
Ambati Rayudu	12	72	60	2
Faf du Plessis	9	45	35	1
Murali Vijay	6	35	42	1

 Table: Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs CSK batsmen

Players to watch:

Chennai Super Kings �?Faf du Plessis

South Africa's Faf du Plessis has been CSK’s best batsman in IPL 2020 by a country mile. He’s scored 173 runs in three matches and is averaging 86.50 besides also boasting a healthy strike rate of 149.13. Electric on the field with a safe pair of hands, du Plessis scored an unbeaten 58 against MI before scoring 72 and 43 in CSK’s last two games, making him their obvious dangerman with the bat against SRH.

Sunrisers Hyderabad �?David Warner

Australian opener David Warner didn’t start IPL 2020 at his brilliant best but his last two innings when he scored 36 and 45 against Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals respectively offered indications that he’s not far from returning to top form. On his day, Warner is capable to taking any bowling line up apart and with a decent record against most of CSK’s bowlers, him getting a big score on Friday wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Stats to watch out for:

2: MS Dhoni needs 2 sixes to complete 300 sixes in T20s

2: Deepak Chahar is 2 wickets away from completing 100 wickets in T20s.

2: MS Dhoni needs 2 catches to complete 100 IPL catches as wicketkeeper.

3: Bravo is 3 wickets away from completing 150 wickets in IPL.

24:MS Dhoni needs 24 runs to complete 4500 IPL Runs.

75%: CSK have 75% win percentage against SRH, best against any team in IPL.

Writer’s pick:

Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to make it two wins in a row as they go into the match with confidence and self-belief. CSK, meanwhile, find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of confidence and will most probably find it difficult against SRH. A confident MS Dhoni is a must for CSK to be successful and after he recently admitted that a lack of practice has slightly dented his belief, it’s difficult to see how Chennai Super Kings come away a win.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam

The iconic Sharjah will play host to the 4th match of the 2020 Indian T20 League season between Rajasthan and the Chennai. Rajasthan will be playing their first match of the new campaign while Chennai are coming off a huge win over defending champions Mumbai.

The two teams are on the opposite ends of the experience spectrum. While Chennai have the oldest starting XI in the league, Rajasthan have one of the youngest. The three-time champions are filled with experience to the brim while only a couple, or at best three players out of the seven of Rajasthan’s Indian contingent can claim to have played an international T20.

But with youth comes courage. Rajasthan’s batting core of Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson will be up for the challenge and will want to take the game to Chennai’s seasoned veterans.

Watson’s wonderful record in the desert

Shane Watson loves playing at the Sharjah.

The 39-year-old has batted 19 times at the iconic ground and has scored 586 runs at an average of 32.55. Here are Watson’s favourite hunting grounds.

Stadium	Innings	Runs	Average
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur	33	969	37.26
Dubai Sports City Stadium, Dubai	21	608	33.77
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah	19	586	32.55

Watson has played only once at Sharjah in the Indian T20 League back when he was with the Rajasthan in 2014. The Australian scored 50 off 28 balls against Punjab and the veteran will be hoping for a repeat performance on Tuesday.

Unadkat’s underwhelming record

Rajasthan broke the bank to sign Jaydev Unadkat but the pacer has so far been extremely underwhelming for the side.

Unadkat has played 26 matches in the last two campaigns and picked up just 21 wickets. He also has a terrible economy rate of 10.08, the worst of any bowler with over 500 balls bowled and has also given away 884 runs in the past two seasons, the most by any bowler in that span.

At the death, Unadkat’s performances dip further, bowling at an economy of 11.82, also the worst among all bowlers with at least 180 balls during the final overs.

While he’s never been an economical bowler, Unadkat had a knack of picking plenty of wickets but with those dried up, the 28-year-old is nothing more than a liability at this point for Rajasthan.  

Players to watch

Rajasthan �?Steve Smith

Australian skipper has a decent record in the Indian T20 League but the team would be expecting more from the stellar batsman than he has delivered so far. In his maiden campaign with the Rajasthan, Smith scored 319 runs in 12 matches at a modest strike rate of 116 and a good average of 39.87. With Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler sidelined, Smith will not only have to lead his side in the field but also lead them by example with the bat if Rajasthan have any hopes of causing an upset against Chennai.

Chennai -Ambati Rayudu

Chennai were in a huge spot of bother against Mumbai at 6/2 and with Suresh Raina missing, the team needed another one of it’s experienced stars to anchor the innings for the side. Up-stepped veteran batsman Ambati Rayudu smashing 71 off 48 balls to guide his side to a victory. Rayudu will have a huge role this season in the absence of Raina and if the first match is anything to go by, the 34-year-old is more than up for the task.

Stats to watch out for:

3: Rajasthan's Ankit Rajpoot and Chennai's Deepak Chahar are both just three wickets away from reaching 100 scalps in T20s.

5: Chennai all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has dismissed Steve Smith five times in the Indian T20 League. No other bowler has dismissed the Australian more times.

5: MS Dhoni needs just five more sixes to complete 300 in T20s. Among Indian batsmen, only Rohit Sharma (361) and Suresh Raina (311) have managed more than the former Indian skipper.

1000: Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu are both closing in on 1000 runs for Chennai. The Australian needs 43 while Rayudu needs 45 to reach the mark.

Writer’s pick:

Rajasthan will be without Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, two of the four in their famed foreign quartet. Chennai are at full-strength and are coming off an impressive win over Mumbai. It’s hard to see how the Royals can thwart Chennai’s batsmen or their bowlers and hence, expect CHE add another to the wins column.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Arun Sankar