Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals focus on top-two finish
Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni will both be keen to get two shots at a place in the IPL final
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In the news
Likely XIs
Strategy punt
- Prithvi Shaw is a destructive batter, when the ball comes down perfectly straight. Bowlers capable of moving the new ball have troubled him in the past. So he might want to be off strike when Deepak Chahar has the ball. The head-to-head reads 55 runs off 50 balls and five dismissals.
- South Africa may not want him in their T20 side anymore but Faf du Plessis is among the first names down on the Super Kings team sheet. He sets the tone for their entire innings, so taking him out assumes top priority. Enter R Ashwin (45 runs off 45 balls, three dismissals) and Kagiso Rabada (31 off 28, three dismissals). Capitals will do well to open the bowling with this pair.
Stats that matter
- Super Kings have been the best six-hitting team in the IPL. They have cleared the ropes 96 times with Ruturaj Gaikwad topping the list of players (20) with the most maximums this season.
- Shikhar Dhawan appeared invulnerable in the India leg of the tournament, averaging 54 and striking at 134. But after four matches in the UAE, those figures have gone down to 20.5 and 114.
- The Delhi franchise is one shy of 100 wins in the IPL.
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo