Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will square off against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 24th match of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday, April 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. CSK have had a mixed season thus far and won two of their four matches played thus far.
In Chennai’s previous encounter, which was against Rajasthan Royals, the batting unit failed to hunt down the target of 176 runs and lost the game by three runs in a last-ball thriller. MS Dhoni & Co. would look to bring their A-game play against RCB and get back to the winning ways.
Here’s Chennai Super Kings’ predicted XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Openers: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Devon Conway has been a run-bank in the T20 circuit. He has featured in 144 T20 matches and amassed 4747 runs at a strike rate of 128.19. The ace batter has been brilliant in the IPL arena too and scored 350 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 140.00.
In the clash against Sanju Samson & Co., Conway notched up a brilliant half-century. The team management would hope the Southpaw carries on the good work and propel the Chennai franchise to the top of the IPL 2023 points table.
Talking about Conway’s opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Indian batter has been in a rich vein of form and has taken IPL 2023 by storm with his blistering batting performances. He has featured in four games and aggregated 197 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 155.11. The 26-year-old is at the top of his game and could yet again display his class in the clash on Monday.
Middle-order: Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (c & wk)
MS dhoni. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Ajinkya Rahane has been a bankable name in the Indian Premier League. He has featured in 160 matches and racked up 4166 runs at a strike rate of 121.74. The veteran batter has been in good nick in IPL 2023 and smashed 92 runs in two games at a stunning strike rate of 200.00.
Talking about Shivam Dube, the 29-year-old is a ferocious striker of the cricket ball and has smashed 770 runs in 39 IPL matches at a strike rate of 131.62. However, he has been mediocre with the bat in the ongoing edition and has managed to score only 82 runs in four outings.
Coming to MS Dhoni, the Ranchi-born has been a giant of a player in the IPL. He has tormented bowlers with his marauding bat and piled on a staggering tally of 5036 runs in 238 matches at a strike rate of 135.78. Also, the legendary cricketer is a tactical mastermind and has guided CSK to four IPL triumphs.
All-rounders: Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius
Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Chennai Super Kings possess top-drawer all-rounders Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwaine Pretorius in their arsenal. Moeen has been a proven performer in the lucrative T20 tournament. He has accumulated 959 runs in 47 matches at a strike rate of 142.71 and bagged 29 wickets at an economy of 6.85.
Coming to Jadeja, the 34-year-old has been a marauder with the bat and played a role of a finisher to perfection. Also, he has strangled batters with his impeccable line and lengths and provided timely breakthroughs. The ace all-rounder has been incredible with the ball in the 16th IPL edition and bagged six wickets in four outings at an economy of 6.38.
Talking about Pretorious, the Randfontein-born has been a prominent figure in the T20 circuit. He has featured in 197 T20 matches and bagged 152 wickets at an economy of 8.45. On the batting front, the 34-year-old has plundered 2414 runs at a strike rate of 139.05. He would look to put his best foot forward in the forthcoming clash.
Bowlers: Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh
Tushar Deshpande. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
Chennai have the services of Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Theekshana has been a consistent performer in the shortest format of the game. He has spun the web around the opposition and picked up 109 wickets in 103 T20 matches at an economy of 6.48.
Chennai also have Tushar Deshpande and Akash Singh in their fast-bowling arsenal. Deshpande has been CSK’s wrecker-in-chief in IPL 2023 with seven wickets to his name in four matches. However, he has conceded runs at an alarming rate of 11.44. The 27-year-old would look to be at his best in the clash against Faf du Plessis & Co.
Coming to Akash, the 20-year-old is one of the exciting prospects in the Indian cricketing circles. He has featured in nine List-A matches and taken 14 wickets at an economy of 6.04. In the shortest format, the youngster has picked up nine scalps in 10 matches at an economy of 8.11. He would be eager to make a mark with his bowling displays in the forthcoming game.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) probable XI:
Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) probable Impact Players:
Ambati Rayudu, Shaik Rasheed, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Subhranshu Senapati, Prashant Solanki
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