IPL 2019, Match 1, CSK vs RCB Dream11 Prediction & Dotball Picks, Playing XI Updates & IPL Fantasy Cricket Tips - March 23rd, 2019
IPL fever is back in town as the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings begin their title defence against the underachievers, Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.
With a number of new faces being recruited, the Kohli-led RCB enter yet another season with a sense of renewed hope amongst growing frustration. They couldn't have asked for a more daunting task to start their tournament than an away fixture in Chepauk against the most successful team in IPL history.
Nevertheless, with the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, RCB pack a punch and would love to get one over Captain Cool and his men, who look solid as ever with minimal changes in the off-season.
Both teams look to start their respective seasons with a solid win, paving the way for an enthralling start to this year's IPL, come March 23.
Squads to choose from:
Chennai Super Kings:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni(C), Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Kedhar Jadhav, Dhruv Shorey, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sam Billings, David Willey, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, Monu Kumar, KM Asif, Murali Vijay, Chaitanya Bishnoi, N Jagadeesan.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Virat Kohli(C), Parthiv Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers, Gurkeerat Singh, Akshdeep Nath, Shimron Hetmyer, Colin de Grandhomme, Shivam Dube, Himmat Singh, Milind Kumar, Marcus Stoinis, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Washington Sundar, Prayas Ray Barman, Heinrich Klaasen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Tim Southee, Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Playing XI Updates:
Chennai Super Kings:
With the South African trio of Faf du Plessis and Imran Tahir set to miss the first match, CSK should revert back to the tried and tested opening pair of Rayudu and Watson, who were the top run-scorers for the team last year.
In Dhoni, Raina and Jadhav, CSK possess a formidable Indian middle order, capable of turning the match on its head with their batting prowess. Dwayne Bravo and Mitchell Santner are set to feature in the side while one of Sam Billings and David Willey should fill in the vacant fourth overseas slot.
Possible XI: Watson, Rayudu, Raina, Dhoni(C&WK), Jadhav, Willey/Billings, Bravo, Jadeja, Chahar, Santner/Karn and Thakur.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
The team is built around global superstars, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, upon whom a major chunk of the batting onus lies upon. Parthiv Patel and skipper Kohli should ideally open the batting for RCB while de Villiers and the West Indian sensation, Shimron Hetmyer occupy the middle order spot.
Big money signing, Shivam Dube is short on match fitness after featuring in only a handful games prior to the IPL but should make the eleven while Umesh Yadav would be expected to replicate his 2018 exploits where he picked 20 wickets for RCB. With the Chepauk pitch known to assist spinners, RCB will be pondering on the inclusion of Pawan Negi or Moeen Ali along with Chahal and home-town boy, Washington Sundar.
Possible XI: Patel(WK), Virat(C), de Villiers, Hetmyer, Ali, Dube, Sundar/Negi, Southee/Klaasen, Umesh, Siraj and Chahal.
Match Details:
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Indian Premier League 2019, Match 1
March 23, 2019, 8:00 PM IST
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Follow CSK vs RCB Live Score here on Sportskeeda
Head to Head:
Total Number of Matches played: 23
CSK: 15 (65.3%)
RCB: 7 (30.4%)
No Result: 1 (4.3%)
Matches in Chepauk: 7 (6 CSK, 1 RCB)
Last 5 Matches: CSK 5 RCB 0
Previous Encounters:
Last Match: May 5, 2018: CSK (128-4, 18 overs) beat RCB(127-9, 20 overs) by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Ravindra Jadeja (3/18)
Last Match in Chennai: 4 May 2015: CSK(148-9, 20 overs) beat RCB(124-10, 19.4 overs) by 24 runs
Man of the Match - Suresh Raina (52 off 46)
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:
Wicket-keeper: After a stellar 2018, MS Dhoni is the preferred choice with the CSK captain coming on the back of a well-deserved rest after good performances against Australia. With Dhoni set to bat higher up the order for CSK, he should be able to justify his selections with a few meaty blows over the boundaries and bring in points through his superior wicket-keeping ability.
Batsmen: With only three specialist batsmen available from Chennai, two out of Watson, Raina and Rayudu should suffice alongside RCB captain Virat Kohli, who has performed decently in the past at the Chidambaram Stadium. To accommodate a more balanced side, Shimron Hetmyer is preferred over AB de Villiers although the South African's ability is not one worth missing out on.
All-rounders: Dwayne Bravo is coming on the back of an excellent show in the PSL and should be perfect with his arsenal of slower balls on Saturday while one of Washington Sundar or Shivam Dube is bound to add valuable points. Ravindra Jadeja is also a plausible option to choose from CSK's all-rounders.
Bowlers: Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar are must have players in the side with both of them being proven performers in the IPL. One of Umesh Yadav or Chahal should prove to be worth-while options if chosen in the side.
Captain: Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina occupy the top two spots in the run-scorers charts for all eleven seasons of the IPL with the latter needing only 15 runs to reach 5000 runs. Both of them are viable options on what should be a good wicket to bat on while the likes of Ambati Rayudu and AB de Villiers are also attractive options worth looking into.
Dotball Fantasy Suggestion #1: MS Dhoni(WK), Virat Kohli, Shimron Hetmyer, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedhar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar. Captain: Ambati Rayudu
Dotball Fantasy Suggestion #2: Parthiv Patel(WK), Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar. Captain: AB de Villiers
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