Ah well, that is pretty much it for Chennai Super Kings this season. Their playoff chances have now dropped to below 10%, and at this stage, they would need an absolute miracle to qualify. Not only do CSK need to win their remaining games, but several other results across the league would also need to go perfectly in their favour.
CSK’s batting started positively but faded away badly in the later stages of the innings. Shivam Dube failed to make much of an impact, while CSK’s massive ₹14 crore signing, Prashant Veer, once again struggled to contribute meaningfully.
To be fair, Chennai’s bowling attack did give them hope for a while. But in the middle overs, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen completely took the game away from them with an aggressive counterattack. And honestly, some of the field placements from the captain in yellow were quite questionable as well.
Overall, this was a very strong and positive performance from Sunrisers Hyderabad, while CSK delivered a disappointing and average display in what was essentially a must-win final home game of the season.
On the positive side though, MS Dhoni still has not officially announced his retirement. However, we did hear from Suresh Raina that Dhoni’s future depends entirely on how his body feels moving forward.
And honestly, that tiny bit of hope is enough to keep fans alive. It gives us a reason to stay excited… while also remaining in suspense. But at this point, one thing feels very clear — the end is getting very close.
So maybe it is finally time for all of us to brace for impact.
Coming onto tonight’s clash, it is all happening in the Tata IPL right now. Suddenly, Rajasthan Royals’ playoff chances are looking much brighter, and they now face Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur in what is essentially a must-win game for Rajasthan.
LSG, meanwhile, have already been knocked out of playoff contention, which means they can play with complete freedom and look to play spoiler in the final phase of the tournament. And as we’ve mentioned many times before, a team with nothing to lose can often become one of the most dangerous sides to face.
That is exactly what makes this clash so interesting. RR are carrying pressure, expectations, and playoff hopes, while LSG have the freedom to attack without fear. And in the IPL, that combination often creates chaos.
Expected Playing 11:
RR
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (C)
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Dhruv Jurel (WK)
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius
- Donovan Ferreira
- Shubham Dubey
- Dasun Shanaka
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jofra Archer
- Brijesh Sharma
- Yash Raj Punja
Impact Player- Tushar Deshpande
Riyan Parag, who’s injured his hamstring, won’t be playing tonight.
LSG
- Mitchell Marsh
- Josh Inglis
- Nicholas Pooran
- Rishabh Pant (C & WK)
- Akshat Raghuvanshi
- Abdul Samad
- Himmat Singh
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Mohammed Shami
- Mayank Yadav
- Akash Singh
Impact Player- Prince Yadav
Head to Head:
| Matches- | 7 |
| RR Won- | 5 |
| LSG Won- | 2 |
| No Result- | 0 |
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
The match will be played on pitch number five, where 228 played 229 in the RR vs SRH clash. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dazzled with his 37-ball 103, but RR eventually lost with nine balls to spare. Dew played a big part in the second innings. Like that game, Tuesday’s will also be a night match, with oppressive heat and humidity likely to be a massive factor once again.
-ESPN CricInfo
Prediction:
Ah well, the last few matches in the IPL have been nothing short of confusing. Punjab Kings have somehow managed to ruin what once looked like a dream campaign and are now struggling for qualification. Chennai Super Kings have collapsed after building momentum, while Rajasthan Royals themselves have struggled badly after such a strong start to the season. Then you have teams like Delhi Capitals making a late comeback, and even bottom-placed sides like Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, despite being out of playoff contention, suddenly rediscovering form.
The playoff race has become absolute chaos — and honestly, that is what makes the IPL so entertaining.
But even though RR have struggled badly at home this season, and LSG do look like a team carrying momentum, we are still backing Rajasthan Royals to win tonight’s clash. RR started the season brilliantly before somehow losing all rhythm and momentum midway through the tournament. Now feels like the perfect moment for them to respond and make one final push towards the playoffs.
And if you look at the season overall, Rajasthan have arguably played better cricket than LSG. Lucknow have produced strong performances occasionally, but consistency has been a major issue for them throughout the campaign. Even though they are playing without pressure now, they are still not entering this match with dominant form behind them.
This is still RR’s home ground, and they will desperately want to end this phase of the season on a positive note. Add the fact that this is effectively a must-win encounter, and Rajasthan should arrive with extra intensity and motivation tonight.
That being said, if LSG continue the form they found in their previous game, this could easily turn into a nail-biting contest.
If you want to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi take on LSG’s inexperienced, but excellent bowling attack, then tune into JioHotstar at 7:30 PM IST.
Until next time!
Thank you.
SlogVlog 