New Delhi: With speculation mounting over MS Dhoni’s final appearances in the IPL, Chennai Super Kings will be aiming for a morale-boosting win as they face Rajasthan Royals in a pride-on-the-line contest at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Tuesday.
However, Sanju Samson’s Royals, bolstered by superior batting form and recent dominance over CSK, head into the match as slight favourites.
Both teams are out of the playoff race, with only three wins apiece from their campaigns so far. The 62nd fixture of IPL 2025 thus becomes a matter of finishing the season on a high and, for CSK fans, offering a possible tribute to their iconic captain.
Chennai enter the game after edging past Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets, but their top order remains unsettled. RR, despite a ten-run loss to Punjab Kings, have notched up over 400 runs in their last two games and appear the more balanced batting unit.
Rajasthan have won four of their last five matches against Chennai, and key players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Dhruv Jurel are in prime form. Their bowling remains a concern, with the onus on Tushar Deshpande and Fazalhaq Farooqi to provide breakthroughs.
For CSK, young openers Ayush Mhatre and Shaik Rasheed will be expected to give a solid start, while the experienced Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis and Dhoni himself will be crucial in the middle and lower order.
The bowling attack will rely on Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj early on, with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja expected to exploit any turn on offer.
Delhi’s weather forecast is overcast, with a flat pitch that traditionally favours batsmen. The side batting first will look to post a total around 200, as chasing tends to get tougher in the second innings at this venue.
With nothing but pride at stake, CSK and RR will look to give fans one last show — and for Dhoni, it might just be another chapter in his legendary IPL journey.
Probable XIs:
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube (Impact Player)
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shubham Dubey (Impact Player)
Match starts at 1930 hrs IST.
