IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings predicted XI to take on Rajasthan Royals

After winning two nail-biters in their first two encounters against the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, they played out another thriller against the Kings XI Punjab, however, they ended up on the losing side.

MS Dhoni almost took CSK over the line after a spectacular knock despite hurting his back. They will look to get back to winning ways against Rajasthan Royals, who are coming off a loss against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Here is CSK's predicted XI for the match against the Royals:

Openers:

Shane Watson has performed decently in the three matches he has played so far. His bowling performances have been better than his batting as he has been able to pick up wickets at regular intervals and trouble the opposition batsmen. He will look to perform a bit better with the bat and get CSK off to a good start.

Murali Vijay was out of the first two games due to an injury and made a return in the previous game due to an injury to Suresh Raina. He failed to make an impact as he was dismissed for a paltry score. He will have to pull up his socks in the upcoming games in order to keep his place in the side.

Middle order

Ambati Rayudu has been CSK's best batsman so far. With scores of 22, 39, and 44, he seems to be getting better with each passing match. He will hope to get a big score under his belt and take his side over the line.

Sam Billings almost single-handedly won CSK their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders with a blistering knock. He failed to fire in their previous match against KXIP and will look to make amends against the Royals.

MS Dhoni produced a vintage innings against Punjab which almost took CSK over the line in dramatic fashion. He hurt his back in the process but looks fit and ready to go for the next match.

All-rounders

Ravindra Jadeja's promotion ahead of DJ Bravo in the previous two games has been questionable as he has not been able to play the role of the finisher. He did not bowl a single over in the last game and will hope to make a significant contribution this time around.

Dwayne Bravo won CSK their first game of the season against the Mumbai Indians with a sensational knock towards the end of the innings. He will look to improve upon his bowling performances, especially at the death.

Spinners

Harbhajan Singh has produced good performances with the ball in the first three matches of the season, picking up wickets and keeping the opposition's run-rate in check. He bowled only two overs in the first couple of games and will look to finish his quota of four overs in the upcoming matches.

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Imran Tahir has performed well with the ball by picking up vital wickets during the match and breaking the flow of the opposition.

Fast bowlers

Shardul Thakur has been quite expensive with the ball in the first three matches of the season and has picked up only three wickets. He needs to pull up his socks and come to the party soon.

Deepak Chahar has been quite expensive with the ball too and has picked up only one wicket so far. If he fails to perform in the next match, the team management will probably look beyond him.

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