🏏 IPL 2024 ~ Match N 1 CSK vs RCB @8 PM IST~ 🏏 - Page 2

Originally posted by: Nichuss

hi all

wer can i watch th match online? who s digital partner ths time?

U can watch it on Jio Cinema for free

Thanks for the tag WD

Plz tag me guys when playing XI r announced as i will be busy that time

Virat Kohli will return to action and Ruturaj Gaikwad will take up a new role as CSK face RCB in the IPL 2024 opener,

In the tournament's history, both sides have faced each other 31 times, with CSK leading 20-10 in terms of head-to-head. Also in their last five meetings, CSK have an upper hand with a 4-1 lead.

The IPL 2024 opener will also see Ruturaj Gaikwad perform captaincy duties, having replaced MS Dhoni as CSK skipper. Last season, CSK defeated Gujarat Titans in the final, equalling Mumbai Indians' record haul of five IPL titles. Devon Conway was in hot batting form, smacking 672 runs in 16 matches and also finished third in the Orange Cap race. Meanwhile, Tushar Deshpande shone with the ball, taking 21 wickets in 16 outings.

RCB didn't even make it to the playoffs, finishing sixth in the 10-team standings. Despite failing to reach the playoffs, RCB had some positives in the batting department as captain Faf du Plessis finished second in the Orange Cap race with 730 runs in 14 matches. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was fourth with 639 runs.

During the IPL 2024 auction, RCB broke the bank for Alzarri Joseph, purchasing him for ₹11.50 crores. The West Indies pacer has been patchy in his IPL career, taking 20 wickets in 19 appearances. But his 6/12 against SRH in 2019 was a sensational performance.

With Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Siraj in RCB, he will need to fight for the other pacer spot with the likes of Reece Topley and Akash Deep. If included in the playing XI for the opener, he will looking to justify his massive price tag.

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra was acquired by CSK for ₹1.8 crore at the IPL 2024 auction. This will be his debut IPL season, and he will be looking to make his mark. Considered to be among the best cricketers currently, the 24-year-old was one of the best performers at the 2023 ODI World Cup. During the tournament, he became the first batter in World Cup history to get three tons on his WC debut. He also broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of most centuries before the age of 24 years.

A key cog in New Zealand playing XI, Ravindra will be looking to replicate his international form for CSK. In 20 T20Is, he has registered 214 runs, including a half-century. Meanwhile, he has taken 11 T20I wickets. It will be interesting to see where Gaikwad slots him in batting order.

Dhoni's new role, Kohli's comeback in focus in IPL 2024 season opener

RCB haven't beaten CSK in Chennai since IPL 2008. Will that streak continue or end on Friday?

Big picture: Can RCB break the Chennai jinx?

It was only last month that Faf du Plessisplayed a blinder to put Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 playoffs. And four months from now, he will be wearing yellow again for Texas Super Kings and teaming up with coach Stephen Fleming. Their history goes back to 2011, when Chennai Super Kings first signed du Plessis even before he had played international cricket for South Africa.

But right now, for the duration of this IPL, du Plessis has shed his yellow second skin for the red and blue of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Once a crowd favourite at Chepauk, he will play his first game as RCB captain in Chennai on Friday. However, his counterpart will not be the man du Plessis would have expected to go up against.

On the eve of the IPL 2024 season opener, du Plessis' former opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad was announced as CSK's captain, replacing MS Dhoni, just hours before the teams arrived for training.

Gaikwad has a proud record to defend because the odds are stacked against RCB in Chennai. The last time they beat CSK at Chepauk was back in the first IPL season, in 2008, when Fleming was still a player. RCB have lost seven on the trot since. In their most recent fixture there in 2019, they were spun out for 70 in 17.1 overs. That RCB made CSK work until the 18th over of the chase for victory was down to Yuzvendra Chahal and Moeen Ali.

Chahal is now with Rajasthan Royals while Moeen could line up against RCB on Friday along with three other spinners - Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja and part-timer Rachin Ravindra - on what could be another slow pitch. In contrast, RCB don't have a world-class spinner in their ranks: their options are Mayank Dagar (left-arm fingerspin), Himanshu Sharma (mystery spin), Karn Sharma (legspin) and Swapnil Singh (left-arm fingerspin). It seems like RCB have put all their eggs in the batting basket for both their home and away games this season.

Team news: Dhoni and Kohli return

Dhoni, 42, is set to return to action after nearly a year, having undergone knee surgery following the previous IPL season. CSK's designated spin-hitter Shivam Dube is also fit after missing the Ranji Trophy knockouts with injury. However, they will be without their death-overs specialist, the Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana, who will miss the initial stages of IPL 2024 with a hamstring injury.

For RCB, Virat Kohli will also return to competitive cricket after a two-month break. He has played only two T20 games - against Afghanistan in January - since the previous IPL and this season will act as his runway to the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. Kohli displayed an uncharacteristically aggressive approach early in those two innings against Afghanistan; will he bat the same way for RCB?

Stats that matter

• Jadeja aces his match-up against Glenn Maxwell. The left-arm fingerspinner has dismissed Maxwell six times in 51 balls while giving away 70 runs in the IPL. No other bowler has dismissed Maxwell more times in the league.

• Gaikwad has a favourable record against both Alzarri Joseph (47 off 25 balls, one dismissal) and Lockie Ferguson (56 off 29 balls, no dismissals) in the IPL.

• Kohli (985) is 73 runs away from surpassing Shikhar Dhawan (1057) as the top run-getter against CSK in the IPL. Kohli's record against spin in Chennai in the powerplay, though, isn't impressive: 15 runs off 23 balls with two dismissals.

• RCB's spinners Dagar and Himanshu have a combined one wicket in four matches in the IPL.

IPL 2024 will see a new dimension to Ruturaj Gaikwad's playing style, due to the added responsibility of captaincy. He will be opening CSK's innings, and has a good record against both Alzarri Joseph and Lockie Ferguson. Against Joseph, he has registered 47 off 25 deliveries and has been dismissed once. Meanwhile, against Ferguson, he has smacked 56 off 29 balls and hasn't been dismissed by the pacer in IPL history.

Virat Kohli

It is another IPL season and Virat Kohli will once again seek his maiden title in the tournament history. The RCB star's record against spin in Chennai in powerplay is not that good. He has only managed to register 15 runs off 23 balls and has also been dismissed twice. It will be important for him to get a good start while batting, as he is expected to open with Faf du Plessis for RCB.

Kohli is also 73 runs away from overtaking Shikhar Dhawan (1057) as the highest run-scorer against CSK in the IPL. The former RCB captain has registered 985 runs against Chennai in IPL history.