CSK vs RR: Steve Smith scored a fine half-century in Rajasthan Royals’ last outing.© BCCI/IPL
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast-bowler Deepak Chahar has been a vital member of the side since the last edition. His ability to take wickets in the powerplay overs has helped CSK restrict their opponents to low scores, which were further chased down easily. Chahar has been recognised as an important member of MS Dhoni’s framework, with his swing and variations deceiving some of the best batsmen. However, the same magic has not been visible in IPL 2020 so far, with the pacer accounting for eight wickets in nine matches. Chahar seems to be getting back to his best, considering his two-wicket haul against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday. The 28-year-old got CSK’s defence of 180 off to a strong start, accounting for the early dismissals of Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane. The pacer’s spell of 2/18 will certainly serve as motivation, as the IPL 2020 reaches its business end with intense competition for a playoffs berth.
CSK take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Chahar will be eager to make his mark with some quick wickets yet again. However, RR skipper Steve Smith will make completing this objective a difficult prospect.
Smith scored 57 runs off 36 deliveries, with six boundaries and a maximum against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday. The Australian’s knock helped RR set a stiff target of 178 for the Bangalore-based franchise.
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Smith has batted in an aggressive manner in the ongoing edition, which is in stark contrast to the conservative batsman observed mostly in T20 cricket. Chahar will look to tempt the Australian with a deceptive delivery, leaving RR short of one of their best batsmen. It will be fun to watch this face-off between two fine cricketers.
Note: All stats courtesy iplt20.com
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