The Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearing its business end, and it has been as dramatic as it can get. Fifty-nine matches into the season, and none of the 10 teams have a ‘Q’ next to their name on the points table.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hosts second-placed Rajasthan Royals (RR), with the hopes of playoff qualification hanging by a thread.
The defending champion lost its primary pace trio within a span of one week and is in a precarious situation heading into the game against the Sanju Samson-led team.
Mustafizur Rahman had to travel back to Bangladesh to take part in the T20 series against Zimbabwe, while Matheesha Pathirana had to withdraw from the tournament due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Deepak Chahar has been sidelined indefinitely due to a groin injury.
However, RR all-rounder Donovan Ferreira feels that CSK should be handled with care, especially at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
“For any team, losing three primary bowlers wouldn’t be ideal. But it’s a game of cricket; any guy can bowl well, and anyone can do the job. So, it’s just that we have to focus on what we can do, analyse their bowlers, and see who we can take down,” Ferreira said on the eve of the all-important clash.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s side did not feel the consequence of losing three main bowlers immediately, as it cruised to a 28-run win against Punjab Kings last week, with veteran Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande and Simarjeet Singh stepping up.
But the game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Friday told a different story.
CSK is the most economical team in this IPL season, with an average economy of 8.67. But Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan took the CSK bowling apart and equalled the record for the highest-ever opening partnership in the history of the IPL. GT went on to win the game by 35 runs.
However, Ferreira said CSK’s quality of bowling cannot be undermined since the conditions differ from one match to another.
“Obviously, this is a different wicket, and the conditions are different as well. It’s important for us to not focus too much on what they’ve been doing but on what we can do best. Like I said, any guy can bow well or bat well when they have a good plan and structure in place,” he said.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, sits in a comfortable position, as a win against CSK will guarantee qualification. RR would’ve qualified already if not for the consecutive losses against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.
“IPL is a long tournament and I think the second half is the most important. We’ve set it up perfectly by winning a lot of games in the first half. We still have three games to go but the one against CSK is important as well. We don’t want to leave it too late and put pressure on ourselves. So, winning the next game not only means qualification but it also gives us a chance to finish top two,” Ferreira said.
“Any game you play against Chennai is a big game. They have a really good side. But I hope that we get over the line tomorrow by playing the way we’ve been playing,” he added.
Source Agencies
