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Peter Green - March 29, 2025
Rajasthan Royals have the weakest form among all the team in the IPL at the start. They are now on the back of consecutive defeats and reside at the bottom of the standings after an 8-wivket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders last time out.
They are now in a must win state and on Sunday, they will meet Chennai Super Kings, who have started off this season with a good victory over their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. Chennai didn’t have a break from battling against the prominent teams in the first three as they met Mumbai, Bangalore and now Rajasthan.
The rivalry between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League has produced several thrilling encounters since the league began in 2008.
Over the years, these two teams have faced off 29 times, with CSK holding a slight edge with 16 wins, while RR has claimed victory in 13 matches.
While CSK has historically had the upper hand, RR has shown resilience, winning four consecutive matches against them between 2021 and 2023.
Their first-ever clash took place on May 5, 2008, at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where RR secured a dominant 8-wicket win.
At the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, RR and CSK have played seven matches, with RR winning four and CSK three.
One of RR’s most memorable wins at this venue came on April 27, 2023, when they posted 202/5, the first-ever 200+ total in an IPL match at Jaipur.
This is expected to be Riyan Parag’s last match as captain, with Sanju Samson set to take over from the fourth game as promised. Parag’s leadership hasn’t made much of an impact, and Rajasthan’s poor start to the season has only added to their struggles.
The squad looks weak, especially in the bowling department, which has been disappointing so far.
Jofra Archer has been the most expensive bowler and is likely to be replaced in this match, with Wanindu Hasaranga being a strong option after his impressive performance in the last game, where he was the only one to take a wicket.
Chennai Super Kings are unlikely to make any changes for Sunday’s match. Their squad looks well-balanced, and the top order is performing well, with Rachin Ravindra and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad showing good form.
Their bowlers have done a solid job, especially in the first match against Mumbai. Against an inconsistent Rajasthan batting lineup, they will have a good chance to take crucial wickets.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR):
Jaiswal has a strong record against Chennai at this stadium. In their last meeting here, he scored an impressive 77 off just 43 balls. After a slow start in the first match of this season, he bounced back with 29 runs against Kolkata. Given his form, he is expected to perform well in this game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK):
Gaikwad scored 98 runs in his last two matches against Rajasthan Royals. In his previous game at this venue, he played a crucial unbeaten knock of 42 runs, helping CSK secure a 5-wicket victory. His consistency makes him a key player to watch.
Ravichandran Ashwin (CSK):
Ashwin will be a crucial bowler in this match, as the pitch here favors slower bowlers. Over the past five IPL seasons, he has taken 12 wickets in his first three matches each year. Given his experience and skill, his spin bowling could pose a serious challenge for his former team, RR.
Captain- Riyan parag
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Impact Player: Sanju Samson
Captain- Ruturaj Gaikwad
Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmed.
Impact Player: Rahul Tripathi
Rajasthan Royals are in a position where they need a win to get back on track after losing two matches. Their home advantage didn’t help in the last game against KKR, as they struggled after batting first. Chasing is usually the better option on this pitch since it favors the bowlers.
Unlike Rajasthan, their opponents have a strong bowling attack, including R. Ashwin, who played for RR last season. Ashwin has been a key bowler in the IPL, taking 12 wickets in his first three matches in each of the past five seasons. In their last match against KKR, six of RR’s wickets were taken by spinners, showing their weakness against non-seamers.
Given these factors, backing R. Ashwin as CSK’s top bowler is a good choice. Another tip is for RR to score under 54.5 runs in the first six overs due to their inconsistent batting. You can also expect Gaikwad to score over 23.5 runs, as he has scored at least 42 runs in his last two matches against RR.
