The Chennai Super Kings have performed admirably at Chepauk, but have struggled away from home, dropping three of their last four games. They are ready to begin a run of three games at the venue, where they want to shake off some of the scratchiness that has been attached to them thus far. They are undefeated at home in their last three games. The Lucknow Super Giants are travelling in a comparable vessel. After playing CSK in Chennai, they begin a run of three home games after having lost their previous two away games.
The weight of expectations and importance is not lost on the teams, especially CSK, as they enter a critical part of the season where every loss would result in extra pressure.
“Obviously, it will be crucial; as the tournament draws to a close, victories hold greater significance,” remarked batting coach Michael Hussey. “Winnings are significant at any point throughout the tournament, though. Though we’ve gotten off to a reasonably good start, we aim to maintain our strong home record. We have a terrific chance if we can perform well in the next three games.”
It came with a warning that applied to both groups. However, it’s also risky for us to assume that it will happen on its own. Furthermore, thinking too far ahead of ourselves is risky,” Hussey stated.
“We must devote all of our concentration and effort to our match against LSG tomorrow night. Try to take care of business in that game is all we can concentrate on right now. After that, we’ll eagerly anticipate the next one. You’re focusing on unimportant things if you begin to believe that we will win the next three games. The quick answer, I suppose, is that we’re not planning too far ahead, but the tournament is at a crucial point, he continued.
The fact that the two teams have played three days earlier gives Tuesday’s game a benefit due to the players’ prior familiarity with one another. With the short turnaround between games, it is unlikely that the team combinations will vary very much. KL Rahul, the captain of Lucknow, stated that he had instructed his team to be ready to play despite loud opposition support. In a campaign that has seen ups and downs, it will give the team a major boost if they can quiet those supporters on their own field.
When: April 23, 2024, at 19:30 IST, Chennai Super Kings vs. Lucknow Super Giants
Where: Chepauk’s MA Chidambaram Stadium
What to expect: In the three games this season that have been played here, the conditions in Chepauk have been as expected, with both pacers and spinners making an effect. The pitch’s characteristics are unlikely to alter in the city’s typically hot and muggy weather.
Head-to-head: LSG – CSK 1
Groups
Chennai Premier League
Availability and Injuries: No known injuries are a concern.
Strategies & Match-ups: With Moeen Ali replacing Daryl Mitchell, CSK has an opportunity to attack LSG’s left-handers, especially Nicholas Pooran and Quinton de Kock. He has already been dismissed six times in T20 cricket, so he would be a viable alternative to target de Kock early in the powerplay. Since the previous IPL, LSG has also lost more wickets to left-arm pace than any other team. Even though Mustafizur Rahman was CSK’s most costly bowler in their previous match against LSG, it puts him right back in the mix.
Most likely starting XI: MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, Moeen Ali, Sameer Rizvi, Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, and Ruturaj Gaikwad [Impact Sub: Deshpande Tushar]
Super Giants of Lucknow
Mayank Yadav has stayed back in Lucknow due to injuries, and LSG will probably take him into consideration for their upcoming game.
Strategies and matchups: This season, Marcus Stoinis has been dismissed the most times of any batter—five times against spin.
Yash Thakur, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Matt Henry, Quinton de Kock, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, and KL Rahul are the probable members of the starting XI. [Devdutt Padikkal, Impact sub]
Were you aware?
- KL Rahul’s S/R of 150 indicates that this has been his finest Powerplay phase since 2018. He also has a strong record against CSK, having amassed four fifties in eight innings.
- In all T20 matches, Shardul Thakur has five times in 18 balls dismissed Nicholas Pooran.
What they expressed
“He is an excellent player who has demonstrated this quality for a considerable amount of time. Because of his excellent ground ball play, he is particularly challenging to bowl to. He appears to be in a very positive frame of mind right now, exudes confidence, and is playing some excellent cricket. He is therefore extremely hazardous. Additionally, I believe he has the capacity to play that big innings, scoring 80 runs or more. You will win a lot of games if you have a batter in your lineup who can score 80 runs or more. Thus, it would be really beneficial for us if we could get things going right away. To Quinton de Kock as well as to him. We had trouble breaking that partnership until it was much too late in the last game. – Michael Hussey about LSG’s strategy for stopping KL Rahul.
