IPL 2025, RR vs CSK preview: Can Riyan Parag help Rajasthan Royals bounce back after 2 successive defeats?
Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag, face Chennai Super Kings after two losses, needing a win to boost confidence.
FollowRiyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals will lock horns against Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai Super Kings in the 11th match of the IPL 2025 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday, March 30.
Rajasthan Royals had a disappointing start to their campaign as they faced two successive losses at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. Riyan Parag has stepped in as a skipper for the first three matches as Sanju Samson is not fit to keep the wickets during the initial phase of the tournament, as he is still recovering from finger surgery. However, Parag’s captaincy came under heavy scanner after he failed to deliver results in the first two games.
Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, were off to a great start to their season with a win over their long-time rivals Mumbai Indians at Chepauk. However, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered their first defeat of the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. For the first time since IPL 2008, CSK lost to RCB at Chepauk. Chasing a 197-run target, Chennai Super Kings were restricted to 146/8, falling 51 runs short of achieving the target.
IPL 2025, RR vs CSK preview: Can Riyan Parag turn the tables around for Royals?
After losing two consecutive matches, Rajasthan Royals will be eager to make things work for them to earn their first win of the season against Chennai Super Kings. Riyan Parag’s captaincy will be under scrutiny, given that Royals have struggled to find the right balance in their playing XI.
The only concern for Rajasthan Royals is in their bowling lineup, as they struggled to contain the flow of runs in the death overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, and Fazalhaq Farooqi have not been able to execute their plans effectively, leading to expensive bowling in the middle and death overs.
Rajasthan Royals need to fix their bowling woes in order to counter Chennai Super Kings’ batting line-up, which boasts players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, and MS Dhoni. Another defeat would further dent Rajasthan Royals’ confidence and make their path to playoffs even more challenging.
IPL 2025, RR vs CSK preview: Chennai Super Kings eye strong comeback
After the defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings will be aiming to make a strong comeback against Rajasthan Royals. CSK suffered early blows as they lost four wickets for 54 in 8.5 overs while chasing the 197-run target set by RCB. The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda failed to deliver their best, while Rachin Ravindra held the fort for the side with a valiant innings of 41 off 31 balls until his dismissal.
MS Dhoni played a late cameo knock of 30 off 16 balls to reduce the margin of defeat for Chennai Super Kings. The five-time IPL champions will look to assess their batting frailties from the last match against RCB and come up with a solid approach against Rajasthan Royals’ bowling attack.
Chennai Super Kings will look to rely on experienced campaigners to step up and deliver, ensuring they don't suffer back-to-back defeats early in the season.
IPL 2025, RR vs CSK preview: Squads
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sanju Samson, Kunal Singh Rathore, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ashok Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
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