Kings XI Punjab have had a disastrous season and have little-to-no chance of making it to the final-four this season. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have qualified and are certain of getting their qualifier game at home in Chepauk. The Mohali surface will be in stark contrast to that and is expected to help seamers. Chennai might opt to play Shardul Thakur ahead of Harbhajan Singh while Kings XI are expected to be unchanged despite the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Weather and Pitch conditions: Pitch is expected to be hard and the outfield quick at the Mohali.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Nicholas Pooran (8.5 credits)
Pooran played a superb cameo the other day against Kolkata Knight Riders and importantly also showed that he could handle spinners well. This trait and his higher probability of batting with enough time left makes him a better pick than Dhoni.
Batsman: Lokesh Rahul (10.5 cr)
As consistent as they come, Rahul has had a terrific season and if any Kings XI batsman can resist the Chennai spinners and make runs, it is Rahul. He is an ideal pick given that he opens the innings and focuses on staying long.
All-Rounder: Ravichandran Ashwin (9 cr)
Ashwin had a fine outing against CSK in the match at Chepauk earlier in the season. Having played with them for several years, the off-spinner and Kings XI skipper is well aware of the weaknesses to exploit. Expect him to make a mark.
Bowler: Imran Tahir
Kings XI Punjab have had a disastrous season and have little-to-no chance of making it to the final-four this season. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have qualified and are certain of getting their qualifier game at home in Chepauk. The Mohali surface will be in stark contrast to that and is expected to help seamers. Chennai might opt to play Shardul Thakur ahead of Harbhajan Singh while Kings XI are expected to be unchanged despite the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Weather and Pitch conditions: Pitch is expected to be hard and the outfield quick at the Mohali.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Nicholas Pooran (8.5 credits)
Pooran played a superb cameo the other day against Kolkata Knight Riders and importantly also showed that he could handle spinners well. This trait and his higher probability of batting with enough time left makes him a better pick than Dhoni.
Batsman: Lokesh Rahul (10.5 cr)
As consistent as they come, Rahul has had a terrific season and if any Kings XI batsman can resist the Chennai spinners and make runs, it is Rahul. He is an ideal pick given that he opens the innings and focuses on staying long.
All-Rounder: Ravichandran Ashwin (9 cr)
Ashwin had a fine outing against CSK in the match at Chepauk earlier in the season. Having played with them for several years, the off-spinner and Kings XI skipper is well aware of the weaknesses to exploit. Expect him to make a mark.
Bowler: Imran Tahir (9.5 cr)
The leg-spinner has been superb this season for Chennai Super Kings. With 21 wickets in his kitty, Tahir is within sight of the purple cap, currently owned by Rabada (25 wickets). A genuine wicket-taker, Tahir has thrived under Dhoni's leadership and is their go-to bowler.
Uncapped Player: Murugan Ashwin (8 cr)
The wily leg-spinner has been a key player in the Kings XI setup. He has manned the middle-overs alongside his namesake and has been a wicket-taking yet containing option.
Captain: Faf du Plessis
Vice-Captain: Deepak Chahar
Predicted Playing XI:
Kings XI Punjab: Lokesh Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Mandeep Singh/Karun Nair/Sarfaraz Khan, Nicholas Pooran(w), Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Murugan Ashwin/Harpreet Brar, Ankit Rajpoot, Arshdeep Singh, Andrew Tye
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh/Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir
