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THE TIMES OF INDIA | May 01, 2024, 18:22:38 IST
CSK vs PBKS IPL 2024 Live Score: Chennai Super Kings are a near unstoppable force at home. The visiting IPL teams travel to the MA Chidambaram Stadium with a strong motivation to breach the ‘fortress’, but they more often than not leave empty-handed. This season has been no different. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK have won four out of five matches at Chepauk, the only home loss coming against Lucknow Super Giants following an exceptional batting effort by allrounder Marcus Stoinis. Brimming with confidence after decimating fellow playoff challengers Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match here on Sunday, CSK will be keen to improve their already envious home record when they host Punjab Kings on Wednesday. Currently part of a midtable muddle, Super Kings will look to make the most of the home advantage as they chase a top-two berth. It must be considered that CSK have not been up to the mark on the road and will have only one home contest remaining in the league stage post the Punjab fixture (against current table-toppers Rajasthan Royals on May 12). Heading into what could be a must-win clash in the larger scheme of things, Super Kings have plenty to feel positive about. Ruturaj has been enjoying a purple patch, boasting four 50-plus scores, including two unbeaten knocks, in the past five matches. While the opening batter has been in ominous touch, he has had his fair share of struggles against a particular bowling type. With Ruturaj falling to left-arm pacers four times so far this season, the visitors may turn to stand-in captain Sam Curran or Arshdeep Singh to get the better of him. CSK’s other in-form batter, Shivam Dube, will fancy himself in the spin match-ups against leggie Rahul Chahar and left-armer Harpreet Brar as both the tweakers will traditionally bring the ball into him. Among the bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja could hold the key against a batting lineup that is fresh off completing a world record chase. Pacer Tushar Deshpande, too, could be a weapon, after producing a fantastic performance in tough conditions (batting-friendly pitch and dew) in the previous game. The Punjab batting pack has enough firepower to upset CSK in their backyard. Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, stars of the historic win over Kolkata Knight Riders, will be eager to continue their boundary-hitting spree. But they will have their task cut out, cautioned Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming. “Punjab will be buoyed by their performance in the last game. But they will also be realistic that they have to adjust to the conditions. Chepauk is different; the size of the ground and pitches are different. When you are away from home, you have to make those adjustments,” said Fleming.
IPL Live Score - Shivam Dube will be impactful for India in T20 WC - CSK coach Fleming
Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Chennai on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coach Stephen Fleming lauded all-rounder Shivam Dube, saying that he has proven that he is more than a spin basher and will be an impactful "X-Factor" for Team India in the ICC T20 World Cup this year.
Shivam's red-hot form with the bat for CSK in the past two-three seasons finally bore fruit as he was named in India's ICC T20 World Cup squad named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the game, Fleming said that Dube has proven that he is more than just a spin basher and he has got "raw power". He also said that Dube is a lot more complete as a player than he was.
He has proven this year that there is a lot more to him than just spinners. He has raw power. And in the World Cup, you need some X-factor players, so I am delighted that he is going to get the opportunity. He is a lot more complete in terms of what he is trying to do and understanding this game and that comes with a little bit of experience
Stephen Fleming
IPL Live Score: HEAD to HEAD
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will host Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 49 of the IPL 2024 on Wednesday.
In their previous outings, CSK showcased their dominance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, securing a commanding win, while PBKS secured a resounding victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
In their head-to-head battles, CSK hold a slight edge, having emerged victorious in 15 out of 28 encounters against Punjab.
However, in their last five matches, PBKS clinched victory 4 times.
CSK v PBKS head-to-head
TOTAL: 28
Chennai Super Kings: 15
Punjab Kings: 12
Tied: 1
IPL Live Score - Punjab desperate for a win
PBKS will be desperate to carry the momentum after that record chase and climb up the ladder from the current eighth place. For that, their batters need to fire in unison once again and the onus is on Jonny Bairstow, who made a hundred against KKR, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. But they will eye a more impact outing from wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma. However, PBKS' bowling department looks a bit shaky despite having experienced campaigners such as Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran in their ranks. The visitors will also require a much-improved effort from their spinners -- Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar – as they have scalped just seven wickets among them this season.
IPL Live Score - Eyes on Ruturaj and Dube
CSK need an encore against Punjab, and all eyes will be on skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is on a hot streak. Gaikwad has registered scores of 108 and 98 in his last two innings and New Zealand man Daryl Mitchell too seemed to have regained his touch at just the right time with a 32-ball 52 against Hyderabad. However, the real storm-force in the CSK line-up is Shivam Dube, who has pulverised the opposition bowlers while coming as an Impact Sub. While Dube has always been a spin-basher, the left-hander has now added another angle to his batting with his effective tackling of pacers. Dube so far has made 350 runs, second highest for CSK behind Gaikwad's 447, and those runs came at a strike-rate of 172.41, second only to MS Dhoni's 259.45.
IPL Live Score - The openers' conundrum
The CSK opening combination continues to be a bit iffy. Gaikwad has been a solid presence but both now-dropped Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane have not been able to play the support role to their skipper. Rahane's last four outings as opener produced scores of 5, 36, 1, 9, and those numbers don't reflect his experience or skill-level. However, CSK in all likelihood will continue to back him. Batting coach Michael Hussey had remarked that the 35-year-old was close to getting a big knock under his belt.
IPL Live Score - CSK look to make most of home comfort
The Chepauk deck is a different beast, offering a semblance of assistance to the bowlers and it was evident in CSK's impressive 78-run win over SRH in their previous match. There was no dew in Chennai on that night, and the CSK bowlers defanged SRH's potent batting unit with their accuracy and variations after their batters put on board a 200-plus total.
IPL Live Score - CSK face Kings test
An inconsistent Chennai Super Kings will have to display all-round solidity when they face an unpredictable Punjab Kings at home. The Super Kings have 10 points from nine matches, similar figures as that of Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, and the defending champions would certainly like to breakaway from that mid-table gridlock with a win. However, the defending champions will be a worried lot as Punjab Kings, who have six points from nine games, are coming to this match after scaling down 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders, the highest chase in the history of T20 cricket.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 49 of IPL 2024 where Chennai Super Kings host Punjab Kings at Chepauk.
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