In the second match of the day defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on the team that has been the biggest surprise in this season, Pune Warriors. Both the teams lost their previous matches and will be looking to get some points on the board as the tournament reaches its third week.
Chennai Super Kings have been struggling in the tournament and have lost three matches out of the five they have played in. What will concern MS Dhoni even more is the way they have lost their matches. They have been outplayed in all their three defeats and the team will be hoping desperately to get the momentum back where they want it to be.
Pune Warriors on the other hand are going through a good phase in the IPL. They have won three matches and the number would have been even higher had it not been for the miraculous run-chase by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Pune emerged on top the last time the two teams meet and CSK will be hoping to put the record straight.
Let’s have a look at some of the players who can make life difficult for their opponents.
Chennai Super Kings:
Suresh Raina: Believe it or not but this ‘IPL king’ is still to make a mark in this season. Raina has been one prolific run-scorer in the history of IPL and has won CSK many matches on his own. He will know more than anyone that he has let his team down so far and will be looking to change that.
Ravindra Jadeja: He has played some important innings for Chennai this season and will be looking to play one in today’s match. He has played important roles in the two CSK wins and will really relish the opportunity in playing on the Chennai pitch.
R Ashwin: The last time the two teams met Ashwin got involved in a controversy and he will be raring to bowl in this match. He has bowled the way everyone expects him to bowl and will once again lead the spin bowling pack for the CSK.
Shadab Jakati: Chennai pitch is very well suited to Jakati’s style of bowling. He is a wicket-to-wicket bowler and never gives batsmen any room to hit. He has a healthy neck of picking wickets and can be very effective on slow wickets.
Pune Warriors:
Marlon Samuels: The man from Jamaica played a good innings in the last match that Pune played. He showed his power and cleared the boundary with ease. He takes some time to settle, but once he is in he can be really destructive. He is very effective with the ball and can bowl some very quick Yorkers for a spinner.
Sourav Ganguly: He has once again impressed one and all with his captaincy, but with the bat he is struggling. He has failed with the bat in every match and that is not a thing that you associate with Ganguly. He takes pride in his performance and will be eager to make a statement with the bat.
Rahul Sharma: He was hit for five sixes in five balls by Chris Gayle in the previous match. It is a fact that this crafty bowler cannot change, but it is also a fact that he still has one of the best economy-rate in the tournament. Rahul Sharma will know that he was punished in the last match and will be looking to play his part once again.
Angelo Mathews: He bowled well in the last match, keeping in mind that he was bowling to Chris Gayle. He showed some very good skills and changed the pace beautifully. Warriors will once again be hoping that this talented cricketer from Sri Lanka plays up to his potential in this match.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
