IPL 2018 Preview: Chennai Super Kings attempt to embrace new 'home' as they host Rajasthan Royals at Pune

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  • CSK will turn out at their new home in Pune. Image - CSK/Twitter.

    Two teams whose IPL 2018 campaigns have stuttered recently will clash together when Chennai Super Kings ‘host’ Rajasthan Royals at Pune on Friday.

    After opening their campaign with impressive wins over Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, MS Dhoni’s Super Kings were on the receiving end of a ‘Gaylestorm’ in defeat to Kings XI Punjab in their last outing.

    Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals had made up for their opening game humiliation at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad with two impressive wins themselves before being turned over comfortably at their own fortress in Jaipur by Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday.

    TALKING POINTS

    CHENNAI SUPER KINGS AT NEW ‘HOME’

    While their return to the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai following a two-year suspension was an emotional affair, that joy lasted only one match for the Super Kings.

    Protests in the city following the ongoing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of the Cauvery river’s waters have seen the franchise’s home matches shifted to Pune’s Gahunje stadium.

    Friday will be the first time Chennai will turn up at their new home and it will be interesting to note if they can continue the domination they have enjoyed over the years at their traditional home in front of a passionate fan-base.

    A chartered train has been arranged by the franchise to ferry 1000 fans from Chennai to Pune but whether that will be enough to create a ‘home’ atmosphere remains to be seen.

    ROYALS STILL MISSING JOFRA MAGIC

    Rajasthan Royals grabbed headlines in the IPL auctions when they snapped up the highly sought Jofra Archer for a lucrative sum. The West Indies-born all-rounder has been a revelation in the T20 cricket and has enjoyed a meteoric rise with some exceptional performances in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australian.

    His IPL debut has been eagerly anticipated by fans but so far it just hasn’t happened for the Royals. A knee-injury he suffered during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) has kept the 23-year-old sidelined in all four matches played by the franchise so far. His absence has been dearly felt too with Royals severely lacking on the bowling front on recent evidence.

    For now, it looks like Archer remains a no-go for Friday’s clash too and that will continue to hurt Rajasthan.

    PLAYERS IN FOCUS

    D’Arcy Short has a miserable start to life in the IPL after his record-breaking season at the BBL with Hobart Hurricanes. The Rajasthan Royals opener was run-out cheaply in his first two innings before being dismissed by 11 in his third.  He did score 44 in his last outing by they came at nearly run-a-ball after Short had been woefully exposed against spin by the Knight Riders.

    His vulnerabilities against spin and lack of form could open the doors for an IPL debut for Heinrich Klaasen. The South African wicket-keeper batsman was excellent against the spinners during India’s tour of the Rainbow Nation and his explosive batting could be just what Rajasthan Royals need at the moment.

    LIKELY LINE-UPS

    Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni (C, wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir.

    Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), K Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ben Laughlin, Ben Laughlin, Jaydev Unadkat.

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