7pm Tails is the call from Gaikwad, heads it is. LSG opt to bowl
“Looks like a good wicket,” says Rahul. They would like to know what they are chasing. “Don’t think we made any blunders. Important to win small phases in the game. Whoever is having a good day needs to make it count. I know it is the halfway mark, as a leadership group we panick and it spreads, but that is not what I like when I am part of the team. So everyone is experienced enough to bounce back. We are relaxed and enjoyable to play cricket here. The pitches have been good, we have played one game on each strip. Each time we play on these, it can be different. One change – Shamar Joseph’s out and Matt Henry comes in.”
“We were looking to bowl first,” Gaikwad says. “Not sure of the wicket, but we look forward to it. Going to Wankhede was a big boost, but we don’t want to get complacent. Eagerly looking to build confidence. Was a bit lucky last game. Good to be back among runs. Two changes – Moeen Ali comes in for Daryl Mitchell, Deepak Chahar comes in for Shardul Thakur.”
LSG: Q de Kock, KL Rahul (capt/wk), MP Stoinis, DJ Hooda, N Pooran, A Badoni, KH Pandya, MJ Henry, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur
Subs: Kulkarni, Gowtham, Yudhvir, M Siddharth, Arshad
CSK: RD Gaikwad (capt), R Ravindra, AM Rahane, MM Ali, S Dube, RA Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), DL Chahar, TU Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, M Pathirana
Subs: Rizvi, Thakur, Rasheed, Sindhu, Santner
6:50pm Pitch report: The square boundaries are 61m and 68m and the straight hit is 76m. It is a red soil surface, and Aaron Finch says it looks a bit drier than what we have seen in the past. “Expect it to hold a little,” he says before adding, “there won’t be much swing. A really good wicket for cricket. New ball will be crucial.”
Nicholas Pooran: “Tough last couple of games for us. It’s a good place for us to start back. Good memories of playing Chennai here. I don’t think about [match-ups] too much. I am actually a batsman who times the ball for six. Six-hitting ability comes when you understand batsmanship and you get better over the years. [Rahul’s birthday celebration] Obviously Indian tradition here is smashing the cake on the face.”
Ajinkya Rahane: “We won the match in Mumbai, that is a big positive for us. It was special, Mumbai is a dangerous team. Winning away against Mumbai was really good. For us as a team, we like to stay in the present and play good cricket. Whatever happened in the past, leave that behind. Crazy [to see the support]. It is all because of one man, we know that.”
6:47pm Super Giants hand Matt Henry a cap. Likely in for Joseph? We’ll find out soon.
6:40pm Mustafizur Rahman has picked up ten wickets in IPL 2024 so far. He seems to have found his mojo back after a tough couple of years. However, he is set to leave the IPL after May 1. Bangladesh play Zimbabwe and then USA ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, and the board wants Mustafizur to be ready for the tournament with enough rest. Now this has divided opinions in Bangladesh – whether he should stay on and play the IPL, a competitive tournament, as the best prep for the T20 World Cup or head back home midway. Mohammad Isam writes on the latest club vs country debate.
LSG have had Devdutt Padikkal and Deepak Hooda bat at No. 3 this season. But Wasim Jaffer feels Marcus Stoinis at No. 3 could be the ideal way forward. Our experts also weigh in on how Super Giants should tackle Matheesha Pathirana.
Nilashish: “Shamar Joseph’s debut may be forgettable, but he showed glimpses of his capabilities against KKR. If he can get his temperament right, he’ll be a priceless asset.”
Kirti: “Two completed games between these two teams, and all innings were of 200 runs, so plenty of runs expected today. “
6:30pm Summers in India since 2008 have meant two yellow things – Chennai Super Kings and mangoes! It was #OnThisDay 16 years ago that CSK played their first game in the IPL. The men in yellow are in Lucknow to take on the Super Giants. They can go clear second on the table if they win tonight. If LSG turn up well and turn victors, they will join the eight-point logjam in the middle. Sruthi Ravindranath’s match preview should set you up nicely for an exciting game on the cards. I am S Sudarshanan, and alongside Shashank Kishore, will be your eyes and ears for all the action at the Ekana Stadium. Stay tuned.