IPL 2019: Match 12, CSK vs RR - 3 things to expect from the game

Two teams with contrasting starts head to Chennai to face off for what is an important game for the Rajasthan Royals. This will be the second match in the city after a rather disappointing pitch that was in place for the opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The CSK has started off on a positive note in defending the IPL title with two rather comfortable wins against RCB and Delhi Capitals, whereas the Rajasthan Royals have been a tad unlucky in both their games. They lost the plot after the 'mankading' incident and a batting brilliance from David Warner in the first and second match respectively.

There has not been a dull moment when these two great IPL teams have met in the past and this years' opener is not going to be any different. So, here are four things that the fans can expect from this particular encounter.

Here are five things that we can expect from the game.

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#1 The sight of the yellow wave

Whistle Podu chants will reverberate across the stadium.

The Chennai crowd has been among the passionate audience of cricket from the time cricket has graced the city. The best example is surely the lap of the honor done by the Pakistan cricket team for their sportive behavior in 1999.

Can anyone remember the last time when a stadium was jam-packed just to see their home team practice in nets? That is precisely what transpired when the CSK team came out to the Chepauk ground to do their routines before the start of their 2019 campaign. It was a surreal moment for any team, let alone for a franchise based side.

If the support and following for a team is like that, then imagine what will be the scene when they take on the field against the Rajasthan Royals after a rather slow match in the opening night.

#2 A thrilling finish on the cards

Will he come good again.

Chennai Super Kings may have won the IPL title last year, but it didn't come easy, and they had to fight for everything. A lot of wins came from the jaws of defeat, and one cannot say they were dominant from the word go. They unearthed a number of match winners with each player taking responsibility whenever required.

On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals too fought very hard to make their entry into the playoffs when no one expected them to do so. They will look to repeat the same in this season too.

Ajinkya Rahane has led the side very well over the past couple of seasons and a win against a heavyweight like CSK will do wonders for their confidence going ahead.

Past encounters between the sides at Chennai have been a humdinger, and this one will be no different.

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#1 Battle of Indian batsman

Will this be his game?

If you take a look at both these sides, a lot of Indian core will be on the display when it comes to the batting department. CSK's middle order looks to be more of what we see the team playing for the Indian team currently and the Royals too, rely on the Indian batsmen with the likes of Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane leading the pack.

The likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni have not needed much so far in the tournament as CSK have depended mostly on their bowling prowess with Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo taking 4, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja 3 wickets. All of them are among top 10 wicket takers in the tournament so far.

This could be the game where Raina and others will have the center stage, which was not needed in both the previous games.

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