Deepak Chahar set up CSK's victory against PBKS with a sensational new-ball spell, returning his IPL-best figures of 4/13.
Follow Us
The 12th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will see the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday. Both teams are coming off victories in their respective matches and will be confident of earning another two points. They also lost their respective opening matches in the league campaign. Looking at the potential starting lineups for both teams, there are a number of individual player battles that might intrigue fans and prove to be an exciting contest. Both teams have strong middle-order batsmen and are led by their wicket-keepers. CSK currently sit third on the points table, level on points with fifth-placed RR, only ahead on net run rate.
Here are five key battles to look forward to:
Both South Africans delivered match-winning performances in their previous games, with Faf scoring an unbeaten 36 to see his team through, while Morris scored 36 off 18 to get RR over the line.
Two veterans with years of experience under their belt will lock horns. This encounter might not seem box office entertainment but has the potential to emerge as an exciting match-up. Raina’s brilliant half-century in CSK’s opening game and Unadkat’s three-wicket haul in RR’s previous game show that both have a lot left in the tank.
Another game, another battle of two wicket-keeper captains. Samson’s blistering knock in RR’s first game of the season was a thing of beauty and he will be looking to repeat it against CSK. A legend of the game, MS Dhoni will be looking to get amongst the runs as soon as possible.
Two world-class all-rounders, Jadeja and Tewatia will be expected to battle it out in all three departments of the game: batting, bowling, and fielding. Jadeja delivered an impressive all-round performance last time around, and Tewatia has been one of RR’s most prominent players in recent times.
Jos Buttler is a game-changer, to say the least, considering his ability to smash the ball to all corners of the ground. Deepak delivered a fantastic performance in the previous game against Punjab Kings, which could make a contest between these players very interesting.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
