CSK seek warmth in new home v RR
HEAD TO HEAD
If one is in Mumbai during the IPL season, the involvement the city has with defending champions Mumbai Indians is all too evident. Besides emojis and pictures of their top stars on hoardings on almost every major road in the metro, fancy one-liners on buses and autos have also been replaced with catchy taglines of the three-time champions.
Travel 150 km southeast and there’s hardly anything to make one feel they’re at the ‘home’ of twice champions Chennai Super Kings. With the Cauvery water dispute forcing a shift in Chennai’s home games this season, the only typical non-marketing strategy that seems to have worked is: “Dhoni khelega” – the CSK talisman is nursing a back problem.
Thus, when the sides lock horns here on Friday, besides Dhoni, Rajasthan Royals might not have to deal with too much pressure from the crowd — unthinkable in Chennai.
The sides will clash after three years. It has been a decent run so far for both. With two wins each, they occupy the middle slots on Chennai Super Kings Total matches Rajasthan Royal
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CSK face RR for the first time in almost three years. Ravindra Jadeja will become the 12th Indian and 65th player overall to play 200 Twenty20 games.
the table and will look to plug the gaps as they move forward.
The Royals may have had their winning momentum halted by Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, but will take heart from their Aussie opener D’Arcy Short finding IPL form and managing a 54-run partnership with skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Short has been at a much lower gear than in the Big Bash League.
The sides have had a contrasting approach to team selection. While the Royals have stuck to the same playing XI in their four games, CSK have made changes in the top order and in bowling.