IPL 2018, CSK vs RR, Match 17

A day after Chris Gayle blitzkrieg decimated SunRisers Hyderabad, it was Shane Watson’s turn to hog the limelight with his third Indian Premier League (IPL) ton in 51 balls as Chennai Super Kings defeated Rajasthan Royals by 64 runs in Pune on Friday. All expenses (train tickets, accommodation, food and local transportation in Pune) have reportedly been taken care of by Chennai Super Kings. CSK will be playing their 4 match whereas it will be 5 for Rajashthan Royals. Dhoni scored 79 runs off 44 deliveries and played till the very end. For CSK, Raina and Karn came in. Raina, who was spotted practicing yesterday, is expected to replace Murali Vijay, if he is declared fit.

CSK got off to a decent start as openers Watson and Ambati Rayudu (12) shared a 50-run partnership for the opening wicket in 4.2 overs. After winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals’ captain Ajinkiya Rahane opted to field first against MS Dhoni’s men on matchday 17 of the ongoing IPL. But so are Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat. With an extended practice session for Jofra Archer, he can make a debut, if declared fit before the match. But an upwards of 1000 fans are set to descend in Pune to give CSK a much-needed spark, especially from Chennai.

Their start to the innings was quite poor. And both of them have returned after suffering a two year ban for being found guilty in spot-fixing scandal in 2013. So, we chose to make prior arrangements for the fans to go all the way to Pune and watch their team play.

The only game CSK played at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai was against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), after which their home matches were shifted here due to the Cauvery dispute. The Australian hit spinner Gowtham for at three sixes, while left-arm medium pacer Jaydev Unadkat also got hit for two sixes by the retired worldwide. The leg-spinner was introduced into the attack by Rahane in the 7th over.

Speaking of the batting lineup, Rajasthan has got impressive batsmen like Sanju Samon who has scored 185 runs in four matches.

It will be a crucial match for both the teams as both of them are struggling at the mid of the points table.