IPL 2018, CSK vs DD: Consistent Chennai face Delhi in dead rubber today

In the 52nd match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Delhi Daredevils led by Shreyas Iyer at Ferozshah Kotla ground in New Delhi. A formidable Chennai Super Kings will be aiming to tie up loose ends ahead of the playoffs when they take on a listless Delhi Daredevils in a rare dead rubber of IPL 2018. With CSK comfortably qualifying for the playoffs, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led squad is eyeing the top spot on the Vivo IPL points table alongside Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom they defeated comprehensively in their previous game.

The last two games at Ferozshah Kotla was high scoring and the target in excess of 170 was chased easily. In today’s IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils (CSK vs DD) Kolta’s pitch will be run feast and the team batting second has a clear advantage. The weather in New Delhi has been changing is past few weeks and today’s IPL match will be affected by rain.

The consistency CSK have shown in IPL 2018 after missing out in the previous two seasons is commendable and it seems they were never out of action. They have been solid even against the mighty Sunrisers Hyderabad, who arguably have the best bowling attack in IPL 2018.

IPL 2018, RR vs KXIP: Desperate Rajasthan face Punjab in must-win tie today

In the 40th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Ajinkya Rahane’s Rajasthan Royals will take on Kings XI Punjab led by R Ashwin at Sawaiman Singh Stadium in Jaipur. Desperate to stay alive in the IPL 2018, bottom-placed Rajasthan Royals will be aiming to avenge the six-wicket loss to Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), when they last meet at Holkar Stadium on Sunday, in IPL today’s match. Rajasthan Royals have just six points with three wins from nine games while KXIP are placed third on the Vivo IPL points table after six wins from nine games and 12 points in their kitty.

The Ajinkya Rahane-led side succumbed to their third loss in a row, after being hammered by KXIP in Indore and now need to win all their remaining five matches to keep themselves alive in the IPL 2018 while another win for KXIP will almost seal them a play-off berth and a defeat will be the end of the road for Rajasthan Royals. Nothing has gone right for the winners of the inaugural edition of the IPL, who lost their pillar -- Australian Steven Smith -- to ball-tampering scandal. The lackluster performance by Rajasthan Royals’ batsmen and bowlers have landed them in a position where they need to win all their remaining games and also pray for favourable results in order to qualify for the play-offs. Rajasthan Royals are back to Jaipur, where they have recorded two of their three victories, but they need to start afresh. Three consecutive defeats, including a narrow one against Delhi Daredevils, has left them demoralised and their mentor, the legendary Shane Warne, too wore a dejected look in the dugout from where he saw the Royals miss out on half chances.