"Going to need Virat Kohli out early inside the powerplay" - Matthew Hayden's advice to CSK ahead of IPL 2024 opener

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden reckons Chennai Super Kings must get Virat Kohli out at the earliest in Friday's IPL 2024 opener (March 22). The Queenslander opined that the longer Kohli bats, more the trouble he will cause for the Super Kings.

With Kohli sparking a comeback to cricket after a two-month break, fans are expecting him to score big runs from the outset. The 35-year-old smashed over 600 runs in IPL 2023, averaging 53.25 while scoring two centuries.

Speaking to Star Sports, Hayden listed Chepauk as a tricky venue to bat on as the ball doesn't quite come onto the bat. The 103-Test veteran reckons even a total between 130-150 can be tricky to chase down.

"It is a tricky venue to bat on, especially as an opening batsman. It gets a weird tennis ball-type bounce, and it's quite slow and difficult to play shots early, but the longer you bat, the game opens up and that's where Virat can be at his most dangerous," he said.

"A 150, 130 at times has been plenty of runs when you get guys as good as Jadeja there who bowls stump to stump with the odd ball to turn and the oddball that stays low, it's really tricky, so they're going to need Virat Kohli out early inside the powerplay."

Kohli has a decent IPL record at the Chepauk, managing 362 runs in 12 innings at 30.17 alongside a strike rate of 111.38.

"It's a blockbuster showdown" - Matthew Hayden on upcoming IPL opener

With Kohli boasting a mediocre record at Chepauk compared to the other venues, Hayden highlighted the trickiness of the deck in Chennai. He explained:

"One thing is for certain, it's a blockbuster showdown. Virat Kohli this year is going to be celebrated across all the games. His record is a 30 average at Chepauk stadium with a strike rate of 111. You know what that means? For someone like Virat, even the greatness of Virat has been reduced in terms of his overall performance at that venue."

Apart from Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis also loom as dangerous batters in RCB's line-up.