Chennai looks to keep ‘pace’ with in-form Delhi

Every tactic that Dhoni employed against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) worked and Chennai, which has six points from eight matches, is expected to continue in the same vein. Whether it was promoting Sam Curran to the opener’s slot or finishing pacer Deepak Chahar’s quota upfront while using seven bowlers to dry up runs, every move produced the desired result versus Hyderabad.

Dhoni used leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for only one over, leaving it largely on Ravindra Jadeja and Karn Sharma. However, CSK is likely to continue with three spinners considering that the Sharjah wickets are now getting slower.

The three-time champion will look to build on the win over SRH as the league phase moves towards the business end. However, it is up against a team which is high on confidence and well-served by the South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

With the wily Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel also in the mix, DC has a rather impressive bowling unit. But, Delhi would be a tad worried about the fitness status of captain Shreyas Iyer, who hurt his left shoulder in the previous game. The team will expect Prithvi Shaw to show consistency while opener Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will have crucial roles to play.