The high-stakes match between cross-city rivals Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday is not going to solely usher in IPL 2024 but in addition a brand new daybreak for the defending champions with iconic MS Dhoni handing over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhoni is predicted to retire on the finish of this season and it appears the unanticipated transfer, only a day earlier than the beginning of latest season, has been taken for a clean transition. But past the emotional whirlpool that surrounds Dhoni handing over captaincy to Gaikwad, CSK and RCB should discover some early solutions to some deep questions as they try to enter a rarefied territory.

The Super Kings are five-time champions, and a sixth title will put them in an area the place no staff has entered to this point, not even Mumbai Indians, who even have 5 IPL trophies.

On the opposite hand, the Royal Challengers, who lately grabbed their maiden title by Women’s Premier League, will likely be keen so as to add a primary IPL title to their shelf.

However, they’ve their very own challenges to grasp.

The Super Kings have been the torch-bearers of success within the IPL beneath Dhoni, whose IPL profession has reached its remaining chapter.

While his cricketing mind remains to be proof against advancing years, the passing summers have caught up together with his reflexes as a batsman.

So, the youthful names should step up. The CSK have positioned monumental religion in new recruit Rachin Ravindra within the absence of Devon Conway, who will miss the preliminary a part of IPL resulting from a thumb harm.

The CSK have extra Kiwi flavour in Daryl Mitchell, a hard-hitting middle-order batter and a useful seamer.

In batting, they will additionally look to financial institution on the expertise of Ajinkya Rahane and the exuberance of opener Gaikwad, who’s coming into the IPL after top-scoring for Maharashtra within the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

It will likely be attention-grabbing to see how he manages the duty of main CSK, a legacy staff that carries large ranges of expectations from followers each season.

However, Gaikwad has a profitable system at his hand, laid out so efficiently over time by Dhoni.

It’s the presence of a clutch of all-rounders and spinners who can use the abrasive Chidambaram Stadium pitch to the hilt.

The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Maheesh Theekshana could make even the very best dance to their tunes right here. The CSK even have two wily home campaigners in pacers Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur.

However, Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana will miss preliminary matches after failing to recuperate from a hamstring harm he suffered throughout the latest T20I collection towards Bangladesh.

But these little scratches on the CSK machine don’t make the duty of RCB any simpler. To perceive it higher, RCB haven’t overwhelmed CSK at this venue since 2008.

Skipper Faf du Plessis and star batter Virat Kohli, who’s returning to aggressive cricket after a two-month break, will as soon as once more should shoulder the batting accountability.

They are set to open collectively, however this time the addition of Cameron Green would possibly act as a safety plan if certainly one of them or each of them fail to get going. Green may also chip in as a bowler.

Then there’s at all times Glenn Maxwell, whose high-return outings in final 12 months’s World Cup may not have been forgotten.

They have a mixture of excessive tempo and abilities within the quick bowling unit by Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson, Alzarri Joseph, Akash Deep and Reece Topley, however none of them are significantly good in loss of life over conditions.

The RCB spin assault, although, wears a skinny look within the absence of leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was launched forward of the public sale.

They should hope for Maxwell to ship the products together with his off-spin however others like Karn Sharma, Himanshu Sharma and Mayank Dagar are both in need of match apply or untested.

Squads: CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman and Avanish Rao Aravelly.

RCB: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

Match begins: 8.00 PM.

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