Post loss, wounded Super Kings eyes supremacy against Capitals

MS Dhoni-led Super Kings, which began its campaign with a win against defending champion Mumbai Indians (MI), lost its previous contest versus Rajasthan Royals (RR). Batting has been a bit of a concern for CSK, with Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav and skipper Dhoni yet to get going in the competition.

The quartet will be keen to come good as the three-time champion has been overly reliant on South African Faf du Plessis, who has two half-centuries under his belt. Ambati Rayudu, hero of the opener against Mumbai, is sustaining a hamstring injury and will not return to the starting eleven against DC. All-rounder Sam Curran has been a huge hit, contributing well with both bat and ball. The Englishman appears to have been assigned the role of a pinch-hitter, having come ahead of specialist batters Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav in the first two matches. And, Curran would hope to continue in the same vein against Capitals.

The CSK bowlers, especially spinners Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja, took a beating at a batting belter in Sharjah. The contingent will breathe a sigh of relief as it will have longer boundaries to play with in Dubai. Speedster Lungi Ngidi has been off the radar so far and will be itching to get back to his best.

Chennai’s opponent Delhi comes into the game on the back of a ‘Super Over’ victory against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis single-handedly got it past the finish line, delivering perfectly in both departments. But, the rest of the line-up looked rusty against Kings XI. A lot will depend on how openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw as well as captain Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant fare. Kagiso Rabada, as always, will be the key man in the bowling department and is likely to be assisted once again by compatriot Anrich Nortje.