CSK vs PBKS Strongest Playing11: Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings move to the northern part of the country to play out the 53rd fixture of the ongoing IPL 2024. The two sides will be up against each other at the picturesque Dharmshala Cricket Stadium in Himachal Pradesh on April 5th for the afternoon game. This article will take you through CSK vs PBKS Strongest Playing11 along with a preview of the fixture.
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CSK vs PBKS Match Preview
It’s not often that CSK sees itself in a spot of bother, but in this instance, they are in a troubling situation, though, not grave. With the playoff spot in contention, Chennai Super Kings looks to return to the winning ways once again, after falling apart in their last home game.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side has had a 50-50 season so far with 5 wins and as many losses in 10 outings. The team started off on a solid note but somehow lost control of the situation in the next two games. CSK again returned to winning ways with two fantastic wins on the bounce, but they again slipped and lost two games.
The last two fixtures have resulted in a win and a loss respectively. With four games to left and a crucial IPL 2024 playoff spot in question, it is imperative for them to win at least a couple of them, if not more.
Though their overall batting has looked good, somehow it seems they are overly relying on the explosive strengths of Shivam Dube, who has often bailed out the team from crunch situations with his blitz knocks. The opening hasn’t been great, though, Ruturaj Gaikwad has got his form back, but Ajinkya Rahane is yet to clutch.
There were bowling concerns in the team with Deepak Chahar already ruled out of the tournament. Tushar Deshpande had flu, Pathirana had some issues and Mustafizur has flown back home for national duties. If we look at their bowling composition, CSK is already depleted and it remains to be seen how they handle it.
Punjab Kings, on the other side, seem like they have got their mojo back with two wins on the bounce. Despite not having the skipper’s services, PBKS has done decently so far.
PBKS defeated CSK in their last fixture in Chepauk by seven wickets. When on song, they are one of the teams to beat in the tournament, but things go haywire for them once they start losing confidence.
Batting-wise, the revelation of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Singh has done wonders for the team. Add to that the form of Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Roussow, who have been piling up big scores in the last few fixtures. The bowling, too, looks alright for the team.
As things stand, Punjab Kings (PBKS) stand in the seventh spot in the IPL points table with four wins and six losses in IPL 2024. They also have four games to go in the next few weeks, before the playoff starts.
Let’s take a look at CSK vs PBKS Strongest Playing11 Match 53 IPL 2024, Chennai Super Kings Playing11, Punjab Kings Playing11 Details:
CSK vs PBKS Match Details
Fixture: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings
Match No: 53, IPL 2024
Day/Date: Sunday/5th May 2024
Time: 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Dharmshala Cricket Stadium, Himachal Pradesh
CSK vs PBKS Strongest Playing11
Chennai Super Kings Playing11: Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Sameer Rizvi, Shardul Thakur, Richard Gleeson, Tushar Deshpande/Mukesh Choudhary. [Impact Sub: Matheesha Pathirana]
There isn’t any update on Tushar Deshpande’s situation, who suffered the flu. If he is fit, he will be in the side, otherwise, CSK will have to bring in Mukesh Choudhary as his replacement. Richard Gleeson will replace Mustafizur Rahman.
Punjab Kings Playing11: Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Sam Curran (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar. [Impact player: Arshdeep Singh].
The only issue for them will be the availability of skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who suffered a shoulder injury at the start of the tournament. The team said that Dhawan should be fine to be on the side for the last few games.
ALSO READ: IPL Points Table (Updated) on May 4: Mumbai Indians are out of IPL 2024 Playoffs
