Word Street Journal

Unlike the usual double-headers, the second Sunday of IPL 2022 will feature only a single game. It will be a battle of Kings with the Chennai Super Kings taking on the Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium.

Interestingly, both teams are coming after crushing defeats in their previous matches. CSK had lost to the Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets, and PBKS were demolished by KKR by 6 wickets. Searching for a win, both will compete to the best of their abilities.

The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST and stream on the Star Network in India.

Interesting Facts About CSK vs PBKS

• Both teams lost their last game by six wickets.
• For the first time in the 14-year history of IPL, CSK have lost their initial two games.

CSK’s Previous Match

The Yellow army played their last game against the Lucknow Super Giants, which they lost by 6 wickets. Their encounter was riddled with the dew factor, making it almost impossible to grip the ball in the second innings. 

Put into bat by LSG, CSK’s batting charge was led by Robin Uthappa. The right-handed opener scored a quickfire fifty to lay a strong foundation at the top. He was ably supported by Moeen Ali after Ruturaj Gaikwad fell for just 1 run.

Ali and Uthappa stitched a 56 run partnership before the latter was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi. In the middle overs, the duo of Rayudu and Shivam Dube gathered runs at a decent pace and built upon the top order’s efforts. Later in the innings, MS Dhoni made a brisk 16 off 6 as Chennai ended with 210-6.

LSG started their innings well with their openers combining 99 runs for the first wicket. Chennai’s bowlers were all over the place in the first ten overs. Barring Bravo and Pretorius, none could leave a healthy impact on the game.

Despite poor bowling, CSK did manage to stretch the game till the final overs, thanks to the monstrous total on the board. Punjab needed 34 off the 12 balls when the onus to deliver was given to Shivam Dube.

However, the youngster struggled to find the right length and gave away 25 runs off his only over in the game. PBKS sealed the match by 6 wickets in the end, helped by Evin Lewis, who remained unbeaten on 55 (23).

CSK’s Worries

The first and foremost thing CSK need to settle is their bowling attack. 5 of their 7 bowlers had an economy rate of over 10 against LSG.

New additions like Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary need time to hone their skills, which pushes the men in yellow into further trouble. 

What bowling options do they have?

In the absence of Deepak Chahar, CSK have KM Asif, who plays for Kerala in the domestic circuit, Simarjeet Singh, who is yet to make his IPL debut, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar, among others.

Moreover, in the overseas list, CSK have several injuries, including Adam Milne and Chris Jordan, leaving them with little option. But they need not change their overseas combination. If they are to have a quality unit, CSK would want their domestic bowlers to contribute in a much bigger capacity.

The form of Ruturaj Gaikwad

In the two matches that Gaikwad has played this season, he has only scored 1 run. The find of the previous season, Gaikwad needs to step up as his team needs him moving forward in the tournament.

PBKS Previous Match

The Punjab Kings were pitted against KKR in the previous fixture, which turned out to be a nightmare for them. Mayank’s men were asked to bat first by KKR, and they had a lousy start disturbing the wickets column in the first over itself.

A lightning-fast cameo from Rajapaksa lit their innings up, but they were let down by a mediocre middle-order. Liam Livingstone, Raj Bawa, and Shahrukh Khan, among others, couldn’t do much as PBKS found themselves at 102-8 in 15 overs. However, Kagiso Rabada’s late flurry helped them stretch their final score to 137 runs.

Having a low total to defend, PBKS did manage to take the lead after restricting KKR to 51-4. However, Andre Russell’s stormy knock proved brutal as they could never come back in the match. KKR accomplished the target with 5.3 overs to spare.

Andre Russell ended up scoring 70 off 31 balls, leaving no chance of survival for PBKS.

What will worry PBKS?

Their batting unit is decent, and it will be boosted further as Johnny Bairstow is set to be a part of the playing eleven against CSK. He will most probably replace Odean Smith.

The prime concern for Punjab would be their bowling, just like their Chennai counterparts. Harpreet Brar and Arshdeep Singh must hit the deck hard and find the right length before it’s too late for them. The only ray of hope in their bowling attack is Rahul Chahar.

Another worry for PBKS is their middle order, which is inexperienced and naïve. Only Shahrukh and Livingstone come with a decent experience of playing in IPL.

Where are they in the Points Table?

Well, both are strangely placed close to each other. CSK is at number 8 while PBKS is at number 7 in the points table.

Positives and Negatives for CSK

The Positives for CSK

• Robin Uthappa’s form.
• Their middle-order is doing well.
• Dwayne Pretorius has made a great bowling debut.
• MS Dhoni is in sublime touch.

The Negatives for CSK

• Their domestic Indian bowlers are out of touch and inexperienced.
• They don’t have a quality specialist spinner barring Mitchell Santner.

Positives and Negatives for Punjab Kings

The Positives for PBKS

• Jonny Bairstow is available for selection.
• Their top order is settled with Mayank, Dhawan, and Rajapaksa.
• Kagiso Rabada is back with a bang.

The Negatives for PBKS

• Inexperienced bowling line-up.
• The middle-order is out of sync.

CSK vs PBKS Predicted Playing XI

CSK:

1. R. Uthappa
2. R. Gaikwad
3. Moeen Ali
4. Shivam Dube
5. Ambati Rayudu
6. R. Jadeja
7. MS Dhoni
8. Dwaine Pretorius
9. Dwayne Bravo
10. Mukesh Choudhary
11. Tushar Deshpande

PBKS:

1. Mayank Agarwal
2. S. Dhawan
3. J. Bairstow
4. B. Rajapaksa
5. Liam Livingstone
6. Shahrukh Khan
7. Raj Bawa
8. H. Brar
9. Rahul Chahar
10. K. Rabada
11. Arshdeep Singh