Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 25th Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Toss - CSK opt to bowl

There are playing on a new wicket so no wonder CSK opt to bowl. They have made two changes to their side. Harbhajan Singh and Scott Kuggeleijn have been left out for Shardul Thakur and Mitchell Santner. But the big news is that Rajasthan Royals will be welcoming back Sanju Samson. They have also included Riyan Parag in the side at the expense of K Gowtham. Parag is the third youngest player to debut in the IPL. Jaydev Unadkat returns as well and he replaces Prashant Chopra.

Teams:

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler(w), Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

The previous encounter

CSK picked up a tight eight-run win over RR the last time these two sides met which was just 12 days ago at the Chepauk. Initially in trouble, CSK were aided by a whirlwind knock from MS Dhoni that helped them post 175 on the board. From 14/3, RR did put up a commendable fight in the chase but CSK had it all wrapped up in the end.

Build up

Six teams are certainly on the right track in their quest for a playoff spot. Rajasthan Royals are certainly not among them. While Royal Challengers Bangalore have failed to open their account, Royals aren't very far behind themselves. They have beaten RCB in their only win so far and now go through a very crucial period where they play thrice in the period of six days. And that period begins tonight with a game against the team that's on top of the table. A victory against Chennai Super Kings can certainly prove to be a massive morale-booster in their bid to turn their campaign around.

Jos Buttler at the top of the order will be the key here. But Royals will be better served if they can get Sanju Samson back in their XI. The exciting batsman from Kerala scored a scintillating ton before getting injured and since then, hasn't featured. Can he recover in time to play tonight? And how about the middle order? Steven Smith scored an unbeaten half-century against KKR but the knock was far from convincing considering the low SR. Can RR take a punt and replace him with Ashton Turner to shore up that middle order? And how about Ben Stokes? The man has certainly not been able to do justice to that massive price tag and needs a solid game tonight.

CSK on the other hand have been clinical. They were involved in some thrillers last time around but in 2019, they have had some dominant wins. Their form in spin-friendly Chennai has been terrific but they will be keen on replicating it away from home as well. Faf du Plessis has done well ever since he got included a couple of games ago but Shane Watson's form hasn't been great. Will that change tonight? We will find out. Welcome to the live blog for this intriguing encounter.