After suffering a 50-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are eyeing key changes ahead of their clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Sunday. The five-time champions were outplayed in all departments in their last game and now find themselves in a position where correcting tactical errors is crucial.
Tripathi, Hooda likely to be dropped
One of CSK’s biggest concerns has been the poor form of Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda, both of whom failed to fire again versus RCB. With back-to-back underwhelming outings, the team management is expected to drop both batters. In their place, Devon Conway is likely to return to the playing XI and open alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, with Rachin Ravindra moving to number three.
Dhoni to bat higher?
Another surprising move from CSK was sending MS Dhoni to bat at No. 9 despite his explosive form. The former captain scored a quickfire 30 off 16 balls with a strike rate nearing 190, and many believe an earlier entry could have changed the game’s outcome. All eyes will be on whether Gaikwad pushes Dhoni up the order against RR.
Predicted CSK Playing XI vs RR:
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ruturaj Gaikwad (C) | Batter |
| 2. | Devon Conway | Batter |
| 3. | Rachin Ravindra | Batter |
| 4. | Shivam Dube | All-rounder |
| 5. | Vijay Shankar | All-rounder |
| 6. | MS Dhoni (WK) | Batter |
| 7. | Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder |
| 8. | Sam Curran | All-rounder |
| 9. | Ravichandran Ashwin | All-rounder |
| 10. | Noor Ahmed | Bowler |
| 11. | Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler |
| Impact | Pathirana/Kamboj | Bowler |
Spin to dominate in Guwahati
The surface in Guwahati is known to assist spinners, making Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor Ahmed vital assets for CSK. With additional support from Shankar, Curran, and Khaleel in the pace department, CSK appear better balanced this time—if the XI is picked wisely.
