When defending champions Chennai Super Kings take on Punjab Kings for the second consecutive time in the IPL in Dharamshala on Sunday, they will aim to continue their winning streak, but the Punjab team will be looking for its second consecutive win against Chennai. In the match played on May 1, Punjab defeated Chennai by seven wickets on its own home ground. Chennai are placed fifth with 10 points and the five-time champions will be hoping for a change in fortunes with the change in venue. CSK has only four matches left to secure a place in the knockouts.
In the last match, Chennai team could not accelerate the runs in the middle of the innings against Punjab’s spin pair of Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar. The Chennai captain is heavily dependent on Gaikwad and Shivam Dubey, which puts pressure on other batsmen if both fail. Opener Rahane has not been able to play big innings and Jadeja has not been able to perform as per expectations. Chennai is worried about the fitness of its bowlers including Deepak Chahar. The absence of key bowlers Pathira and Deshpande is also affecting the team.
If Punjab wins, it will become the second team after Mumbai to achieve fifth consecutive win against Chennai. However, the Punjab team was seen struggling against Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Gujarat on their home ground. Another big innings will be expected from Baristo. In bowling, Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep and Rabada will have to perform well consistently.
