Chennai Super Kings will be playing for pride as they take on a formidable Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Wednesday. MS Dhoni and co. have lost four successive games at their home ground and are currently placed at the bottom on the points table. However, the team will be looking to take the positives from the previous game and give youngsters more chances.
Predicted CSK playing XI vs PBKS
Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, R Ashwin, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad
Impact player: Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed
Hooda, Pathirana out?
CSK will rely on young hguns Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre to go all guns blazing in the powerplay. Both the openers have shown their ability to play fearless cricket – the exact thing CSK desperately needed.
Deepak Hooda might warm the bench for the clash against PBKS while Rahul Tripathi could find a spot in the playing XI. Dhoni’s decision to send Sam Curran at number 3 in the previous game backfired. CSK are likely to demote him.
Matheesha Pathirana, who is arguably CSK’s best death overs bowler, is likely to make way for Nathan Ellis in the playing XI. CSK will rely on the spin trio of Ashwin-Jadeja-Noor to inflict maximum damage on PBKS batters. However, Dhoni will be wary of how effectively PBKS batters can counter spinners and hence will use them wisely.
Khaleel Ahmed or Anshul Kamboj will be used as impact players.
CSK squad for IPL 2025
Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w/c), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Anshul Kamboj, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi
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