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Peter Green - May 19, 2025
Two teams already out of the playoff race will face each other at Chepauk on Tuesday. Hosts Chennai Super Kings ended their four-game losing streak by beating Kolkata Knight Riders in their last match. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals lost yet another game that looked easy at the start. This time, it was against Punjab Kings—marking RR’s third straight defeat.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have had a competitive rivalry in the Indian Premier League, clashing 28 times so far. CSK leads the head-to-head with 15 wins, while RR has won 13. However, the momentum has shifted in recent seasons. In the past five years, RR has had the upper hand, winning 6 of the last 8 meetings between the two sides.
At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai (Chepauk), CSK has been traditionally strong, winning 6 out of 8 matches against RR at this venue.
Captain- MS Dhoni
Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Player- Shivam Dube
Captain- Sanju Samson
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Impact Player- Shubham Dubey
Noor Ahmad (CSK): CSK’s top wicket-taker this season. He took 4 wickets against KKR and now has 20 wickets in 12 matches, placing him second in the Purple Cap race.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): With 523 runs in 13 games, Jaiswal has been consistent. He has scored over 30 in recent matches and is the key batter for RR.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR): A strong powerplay hitter. He scored 40 off just 14 balls in the last match against PBKS, giving RR a great start in a 220-run chase.
Even though Chennai has a slight upper hand in the head-to-head record, we don’t see them performing better than RR on Tuesday. The main reason is their current form, especially Chennai’s struggling batting lineup.
Chennai Super Kings may lead in overall meetings, but RR look stronger based on recent performances. CSK’s batting form has been poor, while RR’s top order has shown consistency. Even though RR lost their last match, their batting has remained solid. With Sanju Samson back in the lineup, RR are expected to beat CSK.
RR have a more reliable batting unit compared to CSK. Jaiswal is performing well, and Vaibhav has shown explosive form. No CSK player is in the top 20 run-scorers this season, proving their struggles with the bat.
RR hit the most sixes in their last two matches. With powerful hitters at the top, they are likely to continue this streak against CSK’s weaker bowling attack.
