IPL 2020 Match Preview | Can the perennial underdog surprise the Chennai Super Kings?

“Plenty of positives, but still plenty of areas for us to improve,” said Mahendra Singh Dhoni after his team’s first match in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. That statement is not surprising and neither is it just a clichéd quote. That has been Dhoni’s philosophy of captaincy for India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It will be a huge challenge for someone like Steve Smith when his Rajasthan Royals (RR) comes across the yellow brigade in Sharjah because the Australian is no longer the captain of his national team.

Contrasting history
RR created history by winning the inaugural edition of the IPL defying all logic. However, it was the vanquished team on that night in the 2008 final that has become synonymous with consistency in a game, which is inherently unpredictable. Since then, even the captain hasn’t changed for CSK and so has their ability to reach finals. While CSK has made it to most finals in IPL history, RR has not been in the final even once since the first edition. The journey of the both teams couldn’t have been so contrasting.

Absence of match winners
Ironically, RR, which was known for banking on domestic talent in its formative years, is now heavily dependent on big overseas professionals. In its first match of this IPL, RR will be missing the services of talismanic Ben Stokes (hasn’t reached United Arab Emirates as yet because of family reasons), and opener Jos Butler (for quarantine rules).

Thankfully, captain Steve Smith is all set to play his first game. “Fantastic news is that Steve is available,” coach Andrew McDonald said in a release. “It's fantastic especially on the back of some setbacks back in the UK. It is obviously great to have your skipper available for the first game,” added the RR coach.

If the RR side needed any inspiration to get over from such forced crisis, they shouldn’t look further than their opponents who too had lost the likes of Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh (for the entire IPL) and Dwayne Bravo (for the first game due to fitness issue), and yet went on to win the first match against formidable Mumbai Indian with a familiar calm.

Can Samson do a Rayudu?
Like Ambati Rayudu of CSK, RR’s Sanju Samson was also in contention for the 2019 ODI World Cup. In fact, Gautam Gambhir had gone on to suggest that he was the best number 4 for India at that time. Like Rayudu, Samson’s cricketing journey is also a story of unfulfilled achievements despite possessing obvious talent. Can Samson rise to the occasion like Rayudu did in the first game for CSK?

The Currans, rivalry of brothers
RR’s Tom Curran may have played more international games (50) across formats than his younger brother Sam (29), but in the IPL circuit, the impact of junior Curran is more. Sam joined the IPL in 2019 (Rs 7.2 crore deal by Kings XI Punjab) and made an instant impression. Even though Sam was released by Kings XI Punjab before the 2020 auction, CSK still saw value in him by getting him for Rs 5.5 crore (base price: Rs 1 crore).

In the very first game of the season, Sam played his part as an all-rounder for CSK with a superb cameo. “That was a good thing. I was very surprised that I went in. He (Dhoni) is a genius and thought something (about sending me before himself),” said Sam after being promoted unexpectedly ahead of the captain in the first game. It will be an interesting battle for the Curran brothers, where the elder wasn’t expected to make it to the playing XI if all top guns for RR were available for selection.

The Archer factor
With all the mighty resources available with CSK, RR have got one player in Jofra Archer that Dhoni’s team can’t find a match for. In his short career for England, Archer has proved that he can win any match from any situations in a burst of few overs. Last season, he was highlight of RR’s campaign in an otherwise poor outing.

Debutant coach versus a most accomplished oneAndrew McDonald will be making his debut as coach in the IPL on September 22 while CSK’s Stephan Fleming has won three IPL titles as coach. On strategic front, beating Fleming will be a huge challenge for McDonald.

RR likely XI: Robin Uthappa, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith (captian), Tom Curran, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, and Varun Aaron

CSK likely XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo or Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla, and Ngidi.

(Vimal Kumar is a senior sports journalist who has covered multiple cricket world cups and Rio Olympics in the last two decades. Vimal is also the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of The Century and The Cricket Fanatic’s Essential Guide.)

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