IPL 2021: Predicted starting lineups for Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings

After a disappointing start to the campaign, MS Dhoni will be aiming to get the season off and running for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when they face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. The Super Kings faced a heavy defeat at the hands of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their first game of the campaign despite putting up what seemed to be a winning total. The Punjab Kings, on the other hand, won a nail-biting thriller in their opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and captain KL Rahul will be hopeful of leading his team to another victory.  

Rahul’s explosive form, as witnessed in their previous game, will be a matter of grave concern for the Super Kings who seemed to be struggling to pick up wickets against DC. Captain MS Dhoni would also like to get himself among the runs since he was dismissed for a duck. 

Here are the predicted starting lineups for both sides. 

PUNJAB KINGS

KL Rahul (Captain, WK): After a monstrous knock of 91 off 50 deliveries, the wicket-keeper batsman would be keen on keeping his good run of form going against the Super Kings and deliver another world-class batting display. 

Mayank Agarwal: The opener has displayed his quality with the bat before and despite a poor showing in his first game, Mayank will likely be given a start and be expected to give the team a strong start. 

Chris Gayle: Ahead of the IPL, a lot of critics debated whether Gayle’s fitness and age would be a liability to PBKS. The West Indian, however, proved them wrong with a quickfire 40 off just 28 balls and will look to do the same. 

Deepak Hooda: Hooda smashed an impressive 64 off just 28 deliveries against RR and built a solid partnership with his captain. His power-hitting eased a lot of pressure to allow Rahul to play his natural game. 

Nicholas Pooran: Known for his explosive batting, Pooran will aim to get among the runs against CSK after a dismal performance against RR. 

Shahrukh Khan: The youngster might have started his innings against RR with a boundary, but could only manage six runs off four balls. However, his talents are well known in the domestic circuit and he will be eager to prove his worth. 

Jhye Richardson: Richardson did take a wicket against RR but conceded 55 runs in his four overs. His economy is something that needs to be worked on but the pacer has the capability to pick wickets at crucial times. 

Riley Meredith: Like Richardson, Meredith also took a wicket against RR but gave away too many runs in the process. He would also need to work on his economy against CSK.

Arshdeep Singh: Arguably the pick of the bowlers for PBKS in the previous game, Arshdeep picked three crucial wickets in the game to effectively win his team the game. 

Mohammad Shami: KL Rahul will be heavily dependent on his ace fast bowler to topple the strong CSK batting order. Shami picked two wickets for 33 runs against RR.

Ravi Bishnoi: Murugan Ashwin may be benched for the match after a below-average bowling and fielding display against RR, to give a chance to spinner Ravi Bishnoi. He was one of Punjab’s breakout performers last season.   

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Faf du Plessis: The South African opener has been one of CSK’s most consistent performers over the years and despite a duck in the first game, Faf can be trusted to do a job at the top of the order.

Robin Uthappa: Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unimpressive knock last time around might sway the CSK selectors to go for an experienced batter up top, and Uthappa is a reliable choice. 

Suresh Raina: Mr IPL seemed like he had not lost a single step despite being out of action for so many days. Raina scored 54 off 36 balls and was the pick of the CSK batters. 

Moeen Ali: The Englishman’s cameo went a long way in helping the Super Kings achieve a decent enough total against DC. He scored 36 off 24 balls and will look to impress with the ball this time around as well. 

MS Dhoni (Captain, WK): The skipper will be itching to get amongst the runs after a duck against the Capitals. Dhoni’s form will be of utmost importance to CSK’s season as he is one player that is irreplaceable in the side at the moment. 

Ambati Rayudu: Rayudu also played a useful cameo of 23 off 16 balls but will look to play a prolonged inning should he get a chance against PBKS. 

Ravindra Jadeja: The complete all-rounder, Jadeja was excellent in the field against DC and smashed 26 off 17 deliveries. He will need to be at the top of his game if CSK are to win the two points. 

Sam Curran: Despite not having that good a day with the ball, the English all-rounder played a crucial cameo of 34 off just 15 deliveries to help CSK get close to the 190 mark against DC. 

Dwayne Bravo: Despite being on the losing side, the West Indian veteran had a decent day with the ball. He was the most economic CSK bowler in the match against DC, picking up one wicket for 28 runs in his four overs. 

Shardul Thakur: A reliable bowler in his own right, Shardul picked up two wickets against DC, but went for 53 runs. On his day, however, he can be a deadly weapon for MS Dhoni.

Deepak Chahar: Chahar is one of Dhoni’s most trusted players in the CSK squad, He is consistent and has rarely failed CSK in recent history. Therefore, he will be looking to improve on his form against PBKS.