Punjab Kings (PBKS) won the toss and elected to go first in the deciding game IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
CSK seeks revival at new venue
CSK currently sit fifth on the points table with 10 points and are desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive with just four games left in the season. The change of venue to Dharamsala could be a welcome sign for the five-time champions who recently made it thrashed by PBKS in their home stadiumChepauk Stadium, just three days ago.
Punjab Kings are aiming for their third win in a row
On the other hand, PBKS are riding a wave of momentum. Their back-to-back wins have reignited their playoff ambitions. They will look to exploit CSK’s weaknesses and secure their third straight win against the defending champions. What is notable is that this win against CSK in Chennai made them the second team after that Mumbai Indians (MI) Defeating CSK five times in a row.
Mustafizur Rahman is missing for CSK
Pacemaker from Bangladesh Mustafizur Rahmana key bowler for CSK with 14 wickets in 9 matches this season, is unavailable for today’s game as he has joined his national team for the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe. Mitchell Santner replaces him in the CSK starting XI.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who spoke at the draw, acknowledged the team’s struggles with injuries and forced changes throughout the season. He stressed the importance of focusing on your own process and not focusing on the opposition’s record. He confirmed that Santner will replace “Fizz” (Mustafizur Rahman) in the line-up.
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Full game XIs and impact substitutes
Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Jonny Bairstow, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Sam Curran (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh
PBKS Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Rishi Dhawan
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (week), Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Richard Gleeson, Tushar Deshpande.
CSK Impact Subs: Sameer Rizvi, Simarjeet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki