Chennai Super Kings (CSK) gets to play its second ‘home’ game in Pune, which is 1,190 kms away from Chennai, in the ongoing IPL 2018 tournament.

As readers are aware, Cauvery protests have successfully edged out the remaining six ‘home’ matches of CSK which would now be held in the picturesque Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium, Pune.  In today’s match scheduled to commence at 8 p.m., CSK takes on Rajasthan Royals (RR), which occupies the fifth spot on the points tally (one spot below CSK) with four points from four games.

Ajinkya Rahane, Indian batting’s mainstay in away matches, leads RR opposite his former India captain M.S. Dhoni.  While Dhoni’s credentials as a match-winner in any situation, as a leader, as a captain and as a teammate are legendary, Rahane is yet to come to grips as a captain in the ever-changing RR team set-up.  Of late, he appears to be sending a strong message to BCCI selectors by firing at will in the opening slot, urging them to consider him as an alternate option alongside Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, India’s trusted opening pair in ODIs and T20s.

RR’s bowling and batting in death overs is certainly a concern for the team while CSK, which is full of experience campaigners, doesn’t have much to worry on these counts.  Ben Stokes, the most ‘costly’ overseas player in this edition of IPL, is yet to fire to his full potential both with the bat and the ball and Rahane must be hoping that he does so tonight in Pune.

Dhoni, who took CSK almost to victory in its last match against Kings’ XI Punjab despite struggling with back spasm, is fit and would lead the team in today’s match, which is a huge thing for the ‘home’ team in Pune which would be backed by a few thousands of Tamils who left Chennai for Pune by yesterday’s trains to cheer them on!  All in all, it promises to be a cracker of a game!

Players to watch out for:

CSK: Dhoni, Watson, Vijay, Rayudu, Billings, Bravo
RR: Rahane, Stokes, Butler, Jaydev Unadkat