We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Pitch Report for Today’s Match
Although the batters are continuing to get full value for their shots at the Brabourne Stadium, chasing appears to be becoming a challenging task. The last two matches at the venue have been won by the teams defending.
Time: 20 May, 7.30 PM IST
Probable Rajasthan & Chennai Teams for Today’s Match
Shimron Hetmyer is back and will be available for selection.
Probable XI for Rajasthan: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler*, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer*, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult*, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy*
Probable XI for Chennai: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway*, Moeen Ali*, Shivam Dube, N Jagadeesan, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Mitchell Santner/Dwaine Pretorius*, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Matheesha Pathirana*, Mukesh Choudhary
Power Players for Rajasthan vs Chennai Match
Yuzvendra Chahal will have fond memories of returning to the Brabourne Stadium, where he picked his best figures of 5 for 40 of the season. His ability to tempt the batters with flight and guile has consistently kept him amongst the wickets.
Going by his lofty standards, Jos Buttler hasn’t set the stage on fire in the last few games. That said, one of his centuries this season came at the Brabourne Stadium. We could be in for another destructive knock, given the shorter ground dimensions.
After a disastrous first half, Ruturaj Gaikwad has finally managed to display some authority. Barring a single-digit score in the match against Mumbai, he has added 251 runs at 50 in his last five innings.
Smart Picks for Rajasthan vs Chennai Match
Out of 11 innings, Shimron Hetmyer has been unbeaten on 7 occasions. In the process of accelerating, he has been striking at 166.29 this Indian T20 League season.
Shuffling up and down the order hasn’t helped Shivam Dube get into the groove. However, his last two innings at the venue read 40 and 57.
Sanju Samson has blown hot and cold but has inflicted 4 dismissals with the gloves and scored 32 and 38 in the two games at the Brabourne in this edition.
Dwaine Pretorius has taken 4 scalps at Brabourne in two appearances. Interestingly, all those wickets came when Chennai bowled first.
Trent Boult might have picked only 12 wickets in as many games, but his splendid swing bowling (2 for 18) with the new ball in the last game was enough for him to win the Player of the Match award.
Mukesh Choudhary might have gone wicketless in his last match. That said, he has bagged 9 wickets in the last five games. Most dismissals came in the powerplay with the new ball.
By opening the batting, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been providing brisk starts for his side. He has added 128 runs, including the highest score of 68 in his last three innings.
Matheesha Pathirana was impressive in his debut game as he picked two important wickets of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya. His slinging action should always keep him in the hunt.
Rajasthan vs Chennai Match Preview
While Chennai don’t have much but only pride at stake, Rajasthan have everything to gain from this clash. A win over the defending champions will push them to the No.2 slot in the points table.
On paper, Rajasthan have more depth and variety in their squad as compared to Chennai. That said, the four-time winners will also be keen on signing off on a positive note.