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IPL 2019: RR vs CSK Preview Dream11 Prediction. Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings Preview Dream11 Prediction

Preview co-written by N.S. Shekhawat

Table-toppers CSK now travel to Jaipur to play the seventh-placed team.

That seventh-placed team is Rajasthan Royals. They have struggled so far in IPL 2019, winning just once and holding a net run rate of -0.85. They were thrashed at home by KKR in every aspect of the game. Their batting lacked impetus, with Jos Buttler, Steve Smith and Ben Stokes failing to accelerate as the team needed. N.S. Shekhawat believes they were practicing for the Ashes! Will RR make changes with their season on life support?

On the other hand, the Chennai Super Kings juggernaut rolls on. They have done a magnificent job as a unit, limiting opposition scores. The way MS Dhoni gets the most out of his resources makes them very hard to beat. Deepak Chahar is considered a steady bowler in many parts, but he continues to shine under Dhoni’s leadership. Imran Tahir and Harbhajan Singh have also been superb. However, CSK’s batting has room for improvement. Will they be too good for RR in what could be conditions that suit them?

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Key to a RR win

The batting lineup looks a good one on paper. However, the output is not good enough, with RR consistently underwhelming. Ajinkya Rahane continues to struggle at the top, and he has to start delivering for his side. With Steve Smith also under some pressure to get moving (IPL 2019 SR 116.91), Jos Buttler is a vital player. He was superb in IPL 2018, giving RR rapid starts they could build on. However, would it be worth RR choosing only one of Smith or Rahane as they are both accumulators? Also, will Ben Stokes be pushed up the order, and will he perform?

N.S. Shekhawat highlights four key ways RR can beat CSK:

1. Take the attack to Deepak Chahar. Chahar’s strength is that he bowls superbly in powerplays. RR can’t let him settle, and need to force Dhoni to change his strategy.
2. Imran Tahir’s four overs will be crucial. The key is to rotate strike well against him, and look at attack elsewhere. For example, Ravindra Jadeja can struggle when the attack is taken to him.
3. CSK could look to go in with an extra seamer if the pitch is a belter. If they do go with this option, RR have to fire at the death against the likes of Scott Kuggeleijn and Shardul Thakur/Mohit Sharma.
4. Play Ashton Turner. This could be over Smith or Stokes, which is a big call given their price tags. But, RR need some impetus.

Indeed, the pressure is growing on Ajinkya Rahane and he needs to deliver victory.

Key to a CSK win

On the flip side, CSK look mighty settled. However, their batting has room for improvement. Shane Watson has been dismissed more times in the powerplay than any other batsman in IPL 2019. Suresh Raina has also had an underwhelming campaign. With Faf du Plessis making an excellent start to his campaign, the onus is on the top three to create more headaches for a misfiring RR attack. With MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav in good touch, CSK can hope for a strong finish after a good start.

Also, it is clear to see that CSK’s strength lies in their spinners. This could be a perfect option to Jos Buttler, who is striking at just 108 vs spin in IPL 2019. Harbhajan Singh has taken five wickets at an economy rate of 5.30 in the powerplay when he has slowed it up to 70-79 kph. He and Deepak Chahar can build further pressure on RR’s under-pressure lineup, paving the way for Ravindra Jadeja and Imran Tahir to do their thing. Can CSK leave RR with too much to do in the death overs, given they can struggle with the ball in this period?

Possible Playing 11

N.S. Shekhawat believes Ashton Turner should replace Steve Smith. I think both Rahane and Smith will be persisted with, and Turner could possibly come in for Stokes. Sanju Samson is reportedly being monitored for a possible return from a thigh injury. Also, do RR give Mahipal Lomror a chance, given that strike rotation is a strength of his?

N.S. Shekhawat’s RR XI: 1. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Steve Smith/Ashton Turner, 4. Prashant Chopra/Sanju Samson, 5. Ben Stokes, 6. Mahipal Lomror, 7. Shreyas Gopal, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. K Gowtham, 10. S Midhun, 11. Dhawal Kulkarni

My possible RR XI: 1. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Steve Smith, 4. Prashant Chopra/Sanju Samson, 5. Ben Stokes/Ashton Turner, 6. Mahipal Lomror, 7. Shreyas Gopal, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Varun Aaron/K Gowtham, 10. S Midhun, 11. Dhawal Kulkarni

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If the Jaipur pitch is on the slower side, Harbhajan Singh should play for CSK. However, the likes of Mohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur and M Sharam are on standby.

N.S. Shekhawat’s CSK XI: 1. Shane Watson, 2. Faf du Plessis, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 6. Kedar Jadhav, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Scott Kuggeleijn, 9. Harbhajan Singh/Shardul Thakur/Mohit Sharma, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Imran Tahir

My possible CSK XI: 1. Shane Watson, 2. Faf du Plessis, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 6. Kedar Jadhav, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Scott Kuggeleijn, 9. Harbhajan Singh, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Imran Tahir

Dream11 Prediction

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Key stats and points:

• RR and RCB, the bottom two sides, scored 139 and 158 respectively at Jaipur. If CSK bat second, it is best to select top order batsmen.
• MS Dhoni, batting first against RR earlier in IPL 2019, scored 75* (46). He was man of the match. He averages over 40 vs RR in 20 innings.
• Jos Buttler is yet to reach the heights of IPL 2018. He scored 95* (60) that delivered an amazing win for RR vs CSK at Jaipur last season. He is capable.
• Shane Watson played eight seasons for RR. He has scored 875 runs in 28 innings at the Sawai Masingh Stadium, averaging just under 40. Also, he has a century vs RR, having played just three matches vs them.
• Faf du Plessis so far in IPL 2019: 54 and 43*.
• Suresh Raina has underwhelmed in IPL 2019 (132 runs, SR 112.82). He does average over 30 vs RR, so consider if CSK bat first.
• Ajinkya Rahane is not having his best tournament. He was excellent against SRH (70 off 49 balls), but has just 54 runs in the remaining four innings, including a duck vs CSK. Steve Smith is under a bit of pressure with his scoring rate, but is scoring enough runs to warrant consideration (20, 28, 38 and 73*).
• Ben Stokes scored a fine 46 (26) to get RR close vs CSK earlier this year. However, is his impact consistent enough for his price?
• Ravindra Jadeja has a fine record vs RR (14 wickets at 20, with two 4-fers).
• Shreyas Gopal has five wickets in his past two matches. RR’s most likely bowler, along with Jofra Archer? Varun Aaron could get a game, considering he has taken five wickets in four games vs CSK (SR 17).
• Imran Tahir is a must. He has nine wickets in IPL 2019, to go with nine wickets in four games vs RR (avg. 13.33).

If RR bat first:

If CSK bat first:

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Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 20, RR 7, CSK 13.
• RR have won 20 out of 25 when chasing at Sawai Masingh Stadium.
• MS Dhoni needs one win to reach 100 wins as captain in IPL. No one has 100 wins yet.
• This is the first of four consecutive away games for CSK.
• RR’s boundary percentage from overs 1-15 is 51.01% in IPL 2019. This is the lowest among all teams.

Match Prediction

RR need to win. They currently sit six points outside the top four (with two games in hand).

However, there seems to be too much confusion about their team combination, along with key players not performing as well as they can. CSK are settled, and are primed for a big batting effort against RR’s struggling attack. Both N.S. Shekhawat and I believe CSK will win, given their strong record vs RR.

Thanks for reading!