Playoff spot beckons RCB, CSK

Bengaluru: Forget passes, it is hard to lay hands on tickets for Saturday’s IPL fixture between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium even if one pays a ‘lottery-ticket win’ premium.
The mad scramble is not unusual for IPL’s annual southern derby, but interest in the game has skyrocketed this season in anticipation of this being the curtain call at the venue, at the very least, for CSK stalwart Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Also, it could be the final face-off between RCB superstar Virat Kohli and Chennai’s heartthrob Dhoni.
That the contest is also a knockout clash for the two sides, who are vying for the lone playoff berth up for grabs, has also made it a compelling must-watch. A win will ensure a top-4 finish for Chennai, but the equation is a little more complicated for the home team. If they bat first and score 200+ runs, they will need to win by at least 18 runs. In the event of chasing, RCB will have to achieve the target with more than 11 balls to spare. The mathematics is far more complex if it is a rain-truncated tie.
Intriguing as the contest may be on paper, for any of it to transpire, it is imperative the skies remain clear. However, the Met department suggests that is unlikely. It is almost a tradition for at least one match of the IPL to be affected by rain in the city and since that hasn’t come to pass this season, Saturday’s game could be the one that keeps the tradition going. A thunderstorm is forecast for the entire duration of the match, but if the rain holds up even for a while, the state-of-art SubAir drainage system at the venue will ensure players take the field in quick time.
Statistically, CSK hold the edge, having won 21 of the 32 matches between the teams. That said, current form favours RCB, who are on a five-match winning streak while CSK have won three of their previous five matches.
The second half of the tournament this season has been a study in contrast for the two teams. RCB’s bowlers have finally come to the party, especially the likes of Cameron Green, Swapnil Singh and Lockie Ferguson. CSK, on the other hand, have been adversely hit. Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana has returned home to recover from an injury ahead of the T20 World Cup, while Mustafizur Rahaman is back with the Bangladesh national team. The good news for the former champions is the likely return of Deepak Chahar, who picked up a groin injury against Punjab Kings earlier this month. The pacer is back in the nets and went through the paces on Friday.
RCB will miss the services of Will Jacks, who has returned to join the England team for the T20 series against Pakistan. Jacks is likely to be replaced by Glenn Maxwell.
The stadium is usually painted in RCB colours but for this contest, yellow too will be a dominant colour. Given the high stakes and interest in the match, one can only hope that rain does not play spoilsport.