Punjab Kings have clinched five consecutive victories against Chennai Super Kings and are eager to continue this winning streak as the IPL shifts to Dharamsala for the first time this season.
Overview
In the history of the IPL, only two teams have managed to defeat CSK in five consecutive encounters. One of them, as expected, is the Mumbai Indians. Surprisingly, the other team is PBKS, who began their streak in 2021 and recently matched MI’s record with a convincing seven-wicket victory at Chepauk.
Now, PBKS is aiming to stretch their winning streak to six matches as they face CSK in Dharamsala, their secondary home ground. However, playing at home hasn’t been advantageous for PBKS this season; they’ve only secured one victory out of five games in Mullanpur, their primary home venue. They are hopeful that a change in scenery might alter their fortunes and help them remain firmly in the race for the playoffs.
On the other hand, CSK appears to be in a more comfortable position in the tournament standings. Nevertheless, their performance has dipped in recent matches. Despite starting the season with victories against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans, they’ve managed only one win in their last four games, including three at home.
Adding to CSK’s challenges is Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unfortunate luck with the coin toss. He has lost nine out of ten tosses so far, including the last five consecutively. Despite this, CSK enthusiasts have fond memories of Dharamsala. In 2010, during a thrilling encounter against Kings XI Punjab, as PBKS was known then, MS Dhoni’s remarkable hitting against Irfan Pathan in the final over led CSK to victory with two balls to spare. Dhoni’s exuberant celebration, where he punched his helmet, remains etched in the tournament’s history as one of its iconic moments.
Team Updates and Key Players Strategy
Team News and Key Players Strategy
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan is still recovering from an injury and might not be fully fit for the upcoming games. Sunil Joshi, PBKS’s spin-bowling coach, expressed hope that Dhawan would be ready for the last two matches. Joshi emphasized the importance of maintaining the winning combination. Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh are expected to once again play vital roles as Impact Players.
Expected Playing XII:
- Prabhsimran Singh
- Jonny Bairstow
- Rilee Rossouw
- Shashank Singh
- Sam Curran (captain)
- Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper)
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Harpreet Brar
- Harshal Patel
- Kagiso Rabada
- Arshdeep Singh
- Rahul Chahar
Chennai Super Kings: Tushar Deshpande, who missed the previous game due to illness, is expected to return. However, with Deepak Chahar injured and Mustafizur Rahman on national duty, CSK will need to adjust their bowling combination. Maheesh Theekshana or Mitchell Santner could be potential replacements, while Mukesh Choudhary might get another opportunity to play. Ajinkya Rahane and Choudhary could serve as Impact Player options.
Expected Playing XII:
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain)
- Daryl Mitchell
- Shivam Dube
- Moeen Ali
- Ravindra Jadeja
- MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper)
- Shardul Thakur
- Tushar Deshpande
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Mukesh Choudhary
Recent Track Record
Punjab Kings: [PBK] :[ W , W , L , L , L]
Chennai Super Kings: [CSK] :[ L , W , L , L , W]
In the limelight
Harpreet Brar might have claimed just six wickets in ten matches, but his economy rate stands at an impressive 7.21. Among bowlers who have delivered over 100 balls this season, only Jasprit Bumrah (6.25), Sunil Narine (6.72), and Krunal Pandya (7.20) boast better economy rates. Brar’s standout performance against CSK earlier in the week earned him the Player of the Match title, thanks to his figures of 2 for 17, which notably included dismissing Shivam Dube for a first-ball duck.
Dube’s dismissal was significant, considering his pivotal role as CSK’s engine in the middle overs. Throughout the season, he has amassed 350 runs at an impressive average of 50.00 and a striking rate of 171.56. Besides Ruturaj Gaikwad, no other CSK batsman has crossed the 200-run mark. With both PBKS spinners, Brar and Rahul Chahar, capable of turning the ball against Dube, restraining him once he’s set could pose a challenge.
Pitch Conditions and Statistics
Regarding the pitch and conditions, Dharamsala has witnessed only two T20 matches in the past seven years, both of which were high-scoring affairs, at least by pre-IPL 2024 standards. In PBKS’s last match here in 2023, Rossouw, then playing for Delhi Capitals, scored an unbeaten 82 off 37 balls, guiding his team to a total of 213 for 2, eventually winning by 15 runs.
Important Stats:
- Jonny Bairstow has displayed prowess against Moeen Ali and Shardul Thakur, boasting a strike rate of 185.71 and 170.00 respectively. However, he struggles against Ravindra Jadeja, managing only 36 runs off 31 balls at a strike rate of 116.12 with one dismissal.
- Daryl Mitchell has faced Arshdeep Singh 19 times, scoring 43 runs with one dismissal.
- Rabada has managed to keep Gaikwad in check, conceding only 63 runs off 59 balls with three dismissals. Similarly, Arshdeep Singh has a commendable record against Gaikwad, giving away 55 runs off 44 balls with three dismissals.
- When facing Rabada, Dhoni has a strike rate of 45.45, managing just 10 runs off 22 balls with one dismissal. Against Rahul Chahar, his strike rate is 55.88, scoring 19 runs off 34 balls with two dismissals. However, Dhoni performs better against Harshal Patel, with a strike rate of 78.12, accumulating 25 runs off 32 balls with two dismissals. He has shown dominance against Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh, scoring 38 runs off 17 balls and 20 runs off 14 balls respectively, without being dismissed yet.
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