Former stronghold of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Chepauk has been conquered by four rival teams in IPL 2025. If this pattern persists and Punjab Kings (PBKS) triumphs on Wednesday evening, it will signal the end of CSK’s chances for a spot in the playoffs.
The performance of the openers will once again play a crucial role. While Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have displayed strong intent and hitting abilities, there are concerns about the lower order. Additionally, the lack of big scores from Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis has led to PBKS’ middle order having a strike rate of 130.75 (second-lowest) and an average of 24.17 (third-lowest) among all teams in this IPL season.
In an attempt to rectify the issue, they moved Marco Jansen up to No. 5 in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, this did not prove successful as the allrounder struggled to score only 3 runs off 7 balls. Despite Inglis’ impressive performance against spin, PBKS could contemplate reintroducing Marcus Stoinis into their lineup, after he delivered a stunning century in his last match at Chepauk during IPL 2024.
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The batting of CSK has worsened and, following a string of losses, coach Stephen Fleming attributes the struggles to November’s major auction.
Having utilized a total of 21 players this season, CSK is now faced with dwindling hopes of making it to the playoffs. As they approach their final games, they will view them as a chance to bring in fresh faces and potentially lay the foundation for the next auction. In fact, they have already begun planning for the future by gradually integrating Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis into their team and preparing Vansh Bedi and Ramakrishna Ghosh through match-simulation training at their High Performance Academy located outside the city.
Stepping into the limelight are untested opening pairs.
For the first time in IPL history, four uncapped Indian players will open the batting in an upcoming game.
Ayush Mhatre and Shaik Rasheed have brought new energy to CSK’s batting strategy. Mhatre, in particular, has displayed a strong offensive mindset, consistently hitting the ball over the boundary during the powerplay. Following his India Under-19 teammate Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s impressive performance just days ago, Mhatre aims to deliver an equally impressive show at Chepauk.
Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have been performing exceptionally well this season with a run rate of 10.69, second only to Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s 10.89 among opening pairs. In their previous match against CSK, Arya proved his worth in the IPL with a century off just 39 balls. Will it be Prabhsimran’s turn to shine now?
Updates on the team and potential starting lineups.
The likely lineup for Chennai Super Kings includes Ayush Mhatre, Shaik Rasheed, Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and either Vansh Bedi, Deepak Hooda, or Vijay Shankar. MS Dhoni will captain and keep wicket while Anshul Kamboj or R Ashwin may also make an appearance. Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed are expected to join Matheesha Pathirana in the final eleven.
PBKS will need to make a decision between Inglis and Stoinis as well as choosing between Azmatullah Omarzai and Xavier Bartlett for their bowling options.
Possible rephrasing:
The major inquiry
Despite a lackluster season, Maxwell’s offspin will prove useful against CSK’s left-handed batsmen. His IPL record against Dube is impressive, having only given up 26 runs off 27 balls and claiming his wicket once.
Factors affecting the game: Even a seasoned player like Dhoni is unable to gain an advantage at Chepauk.
The Chepauk conditions remain an enigma, even for the home team. According to MS Dhoni, CSK has yet to fully acclimate to the relaid pitch since 2010. Despite the hard work of the groundstaff, there is always uncertainty about how the wicket will play out,” Dhoni stated on Friday. In their recent game, CSK’s bowlers were hindered by the dew and it was also present during Tuesday evening’s match, making the team who wins the toss likely to choose to chase once again.
