IPL 2024 – Match 49, CSK vs PBKS: Ruturaj Gaikwad to drop Ajinkya Rahane? Chennai Super Kings Strongest Probable Playing 11 vs Punjab Kings

The 49th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will witness the clash of Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings who lock horns at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on May 1, Wednesday.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane will be the openers of the Chennai-based franchise. Rahane in the powerplay has been very conservative with his strike rate, and his partner on the other side is also a slow starter by nature, which has dented Chennai’s Powerplay result.

Daryl Mitchell at three with Shivam Dube following him is an excellent duo because they can’t be tied down by a single bowling type and have immense power and skill, which helps them in hitting boundaries.

Raw Pace Testing Chennai’s Middle Order Resilience

A middle order of Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni can be tied down by raw pace and bounce, which makes their middle order one-dimensional.

Jadeja will have to be at his absolute best with the bat because Chennai is very dependent on him and Dhoni for the finishing kick.

Ali and Jadeja will also form the spin attack of the team where they will operate in the middle overs depending on their matchups.

Chahar and Deshpande Lead the Pace Charge for Chennai

Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande will, as usual, take up the new ball, while Deshpande will also bowl a bit in the middle overs.

Mustafizur Rahman and Mateesha Pathirana will act as the middle-overs enforcers and also as the death bowlers for Chennai.

This should also be Mustafizur’s last game for the team as he will be leaving for Bangladesh shortly, who are scheduled to play Zimbabwe this month.

Chennai Super Kings Strongest Probable Playing 11 vs Punjab Kings:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni (WK), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana

Impact Player: Shardul Thakur