Chapter 2 of Southern Derby beckons as RCB collide with resurgent CSK

In what would be a test by fire, the Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on the Chennai Super Kings for the second chapter of the Southern derby in a desperate bid to keep their campaign afloat. Despite a seraphic start to the latest edition of the tournament, the Challengers have clattered onto an unexpected snag with three consecutive defeats.

The Chennai Super Kings will be brimming with panache as their seasoned skipper is back at the helm of affairs after an abysmal start to the season and eked out a fine win in his very opening game on his return as captain.

RCB’s recent form has sparked too many questions about their top-order that is still to produce a solid opening partnership. However, as a matter of reprieve, Virat Kohli returned to form after a long time and stitched a half-century on a track that had its own share of twists and turns.

For Chennai, it is altogether a different story that saw Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a blistering 99, an innings which was perfectly complemented by Devon Conway’s breezy knock at the top, paving the path for their third win of the season.

This is going to be a contest of titanic proportions, especially taking into account the return of two of the most reliable batters for the respective sides. There is another interesting aspect of this rivalry in the latest edition of the tournament where Chennai can actually take pride in their batting while RCB’s bowling has been a major game-changer.

Venue watch:

The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has shown a proclivity for the batters but then again in the early stages there will be some sharp movement that would make the batters toil. One misstep from the top-order and it can be a stare at a dark void with almost half of the middle-order exposed for both the sides. However, once the initial hiccup has been taken care of, from there it is a smooth sailing for the batters. The second half will also have dew in play that can change the complexion of the game with the advantage for the spinners being negated. Of late, the ball has gripped to the surface which can bloom a smile on the bowlers’ face. The last game played here starred Chennai Super Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad that produced a high-scoring affair featuring an aggregate of 391 runs.

Battles to watch out for:

Faf du Plessis vs MS Dhoni: The former CSK opener will be desperate to find wind in his sails after a handful of disappointing outings. Despite him being the highest scorer for RCB, he is still far away from his phenomenal best and the effusive Faf that we have known all these days for, is somehow still to unfold for RCB. MS Dhoni’s towering presence is more than enough to change the narrative of the contest. He is a tactical giant and his strategies are very well-planned that can derail any equation schemed by his oppositions.

Virat Kohli vs Ravindra Jadeja: An in-form Virat Kohli is more menacing than an entire team coming together with the unified objective of stopping him. His return to form against the Titans is a herald of caution that the Chennai Super Kings will have to contain before it spills out to make an irreversible mess. Jadeja will be pretty reprieved to have been removed from the captaincy that will allow him to focus on his individual responsibilities for the side. He is a dangerous player and more importantly, he is a finisher who can change the games completely in a trice.

Maheesh Theekshana vs Wanindu Hasaranga: The Sri Lankan connection to this game can play an elemental role in shaping up the fortunes. Last time, these two teams played, the margin was pretty fine until Theeksana stepped up to claim four scalps, that would disrupt the chase for the Challengers. For RCB, Hasaranga has again started finding himself in the middle of decent form with regular scalps and economical bowling that can make this the perfect setting for a Lankan classic.

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, Faf du Plessis, Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dinesh Karthik, Josh Hazlewood, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat, Akash Deep, Mahipal Lomror, Finn Allen, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Behrendorff, Suyash Prabhudesai, Chama Milind, Aneeshwar Gautam, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Rajat Patidar, Siddharth Kaul.

Chennai Super Kings:

Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Dwaine Pretorious, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Matheesa Pathirana, Adam Milne, Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, KM Asif, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Bhagath Varma, Hari Nishanth, Subranshu Senapati.

Match Details:

Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association, Pune

Date: 4th May 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST