Battle of wits between two captains

CHENNAI: The defending champion, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in a battle of wits between the two new captains at Chepauk on Tuesday. Both teams enter the fray with a victory under its belt and will be looking forward to extending its winning run.

The match will also mark the first meeting between these teams since last year’s final, where CSK ended GT’s hopes of back-to-back titles, with Ravindra Jadeja delivering a stellar finish to secure CSK’s record-equalling fifth title.

Despite skepticism looming over CSK’s captaincy shift, reminiscent of 2022, Ruturaj-led CSK silenced all doubters by breezing past RCB in the season opener at home. “I think it’ll come down to which team handles pressure better tomorrow. It’s still early in the competition, with combinations being worked out and team cohesion being established. Winning early games is nice, but there’s still a lot of settling in to do,” said Stephen Fleming during the pre-match press conference.

Shubman Gill, the youngest captain this season, led GT to a victory by six runs against Mumbai Indians (MI) in its opening game on Sunday, making a bold statement about his arrival in the captaincy arena.

Rachin Ravindra emerged as a key player for CSK in its opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, “He stuck to his game. Part of introducing players to the squad is making them comfortable, and Michael Hussey works on those plans. Primarily, we encourage players to stick to their strengths, regardless of the circumstances,” said Fleming discussing what went right with Rachin in his debut match for CSK.

Rachin also opened the innings for CSK in a new opening combination alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. His knock of 37 runs from 15 balls provided the team with a much-needed strong start. Fleming said that they’re experimenting with their opening options. “We’re playing around with combinations,” he added, “so a different opening pair shouldn’t be surprising.”

Meanwhile, the return of Matheesha Pathirana to the squad may pose a dilemma for Gaikwad and the CSK management. They must decide whether to opt for two foreign pacers and drop Maheesh Theekshana, who underperformed in the opening game or to drop Mustafizur Rahman, who shone brightly in the same match. Should they choose the former, they will rely on Rachin Ravindra to bowl a couple of overs in the middle.

“Rachin might be used possibly at times, the conditions are good at the moment and his bowling ability is an asset for the team,” said Fleming discussing if Rachin would be used as a bowling option as well.

Tuesday’s match also marks a homecoming for several Tamil Nadu players. However, the reception they receive from the sea of yellow remains uncertain, given that they’d don a different jersey. Sai Sudharsan, Sai Kishore, and Vijay Shankar played pivotal roles in GT’s victory against Mumbai. Speaking on whether Tamil Nadu players might have an advantage playing at Chepauk, Fleming said, “Yes, definitely. For some players, it’d be more of a home game in terms of conditions. It’s hard to say for sure.”