The rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, born out of the intensity of their fiery fan bases, will throw up its latest offering at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
That the two face off for the first time since RCB qualified for the Playoffs last season at the expense of CSK keeps the acrimony alive in this Indian Premier League (IPL) meeting.
The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium has held its reputation as a fortress in this fixture, with CSK last conceding a game here to RCB in 2008. But the Rajat Patidar-led side, fresh off the mauling of Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener, would be rubbing its hands at the prospect of laying this streak to rest.
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Achieving the feat would require a departure from the high-octane power hitting that has gripped the league and embracing the slow-burn cricket that still endures at the Chepauk.
Since 2023, when the Impact Player rule was introduced, runs have come here at just 8.40 per over – that’s the second-lowest out of the 14 venues used. Over the last two seasons, spinners have claimed 80 wickets in Chennai, the most for any venue. Among grounds that have hosted at least 10 games in this time period, the economy rate of 7.33 for tweakers here is second to only the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
During CSK’s first game against Mumbai Indians, the troika of R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad pulled the strings, conceding just 70 runs in 11 overs and accounting for five batters. Ahmad ended with a career-best of four for 18.
But with Patidar at its fulcrum, RCB has a top-order befitting the requirement. The captain strikes at an excess of 177 and averages over 54 against the slower bowlers.
Virat Kohli also scores 54 runs per dismissal when facing the tweakers in the IPL and could fall back on his new-found trust in the slog sweep.
In the 2024 season, Kohli reprised the stroke 22 times for 63 runs at a strike rate of 286. Kohli could prove vital in negotiating Ahmad too. Out of the seven times he’s faced left-arm unorthodox spin, he’s been nabbed just once and scored at a rate of 137.
The resistance against spin, however, falls apart lower down the order. None of the next four batters – Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Tim David and Krunal Pandya – averages more than 25 against spin. Morever, three of them have a strike rate below 120, putting the burden of laying a foundation on the top-order.
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Getting the middle-order to fire would be on CSK’s checklist too. Against Mumbai, fifties from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra ensured the side did not veer off course in the 156-run pursuit despite a middle-order collapse.
But having favourable match-ups in three left-handed batters through the middle against the leg-spin of Suyash Sharma and left-arm orthodox of Krunal could work in its favour.
Shivam Dube’s brute power could be the game changer. He averages 38 with a strike rate of nearly 160 against leg-spinners.
RCB would be eager for the return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who missed the opener but bowled full tilt at the net session on match eve, to rein in the freewheeling hits of Dube and M.S. Dhoni at the death (16-20 overs).
Bhuvneshwar boasts a strike rate of 13.5 through this phase and an economy rate of nine.
In the opposite camp, the wait for a pace spearhead might have to continue with Matheesha Pathirana still recovering from a side strain. Khaleel Ahmed made sure CSK did not miss the Sri Lankan by picking three wickets and ensuring all was not lost for the pacers at this venue, where spinners rule the roost.
