IPL 2019: Chennai Super Kings schedule for first two weeks

The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost here. After a lot of fuss around the fact that the tournament won’t be held in India due to general elections, it was finally decided to start early so that the league is played here. On 19th February, the schedule for the first 17 matches was released starting from 23rd of March next month.

There will be no inaugural ceremony this time after the COA decided to donate that money to the families of CRPF personnel who laid their lives in Pulwama terror attack. The first match of the season is between the arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, sometimes termed as the ‘South Indian Derby’. CSK has a very experienced line-up and would be looking to start the tournament on a high.

As per the initial scheduling, each team is going to play 4 games at least. CSK have two games at home and two games at away venues. Let us take a look at the first four CSK matches in the tournament.

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#1 First match against RCB on 23rd March, Chennai

Dhoni and Kohli

In football, the most famous rivalry is that between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid FC also known as the ‘El Clasico’. Similarly, in IPL, the match-up between CSK and RCB is called the ‘El Clasico of IPL’ because of the fierce rivalry between the teams. They have faced each other 23 times (includes CLT20) with CSK emerging victorious on 15 occasions while RCB has won on seven occasions. Their first meeting dates back to 2008 when RCB were defeated in their own backyard by 5 wickets. Since then, we have been privileged enough to witness the intensity that both the teams bring to the field.

CSK would be looking to get off to a winning start while RCB would try to break the jinx by winning on their rivals’ turf. Their only win came in 2008. The rejuvenated squad of RCB are not an easy side to beat, but the experience of the squad will definitely prove to be an advantage for the three-time champions. CSK are on a six-match winning streak against RCB and would want to continue from where they left off.

#2 Second match against Delhi Capitals on 26th March in Delhi

MS Dhoni and Shreyas Iyer

After the first match on their home ground, the CSK squad will travel to the capital city to face Delhi Capitals on 26th of March at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Even though CSK has dominated the rivalry over the years, the Delhi team have always put up a pretty good fight to keep CSK at bay. They have played 18 times against each other with Chennai having 12 wins.

Another worrying factor for DC is that they have a bad record against CSK in their own backyard. They have just won 2 games as opposed to 4 defeats which they will be hoping to turn around this time, while CSK would want to continue their successful run. When these two sides played each other last time Delhi beat CSK by 34 runs in Delhi.

#3 Third match against Rajasthan Royals on 31st March in Chennai

Ajinkya Rahane and Chennai Super Kings captain

This is one of the underrated rivalries of the tournament. This clash is between two of the coolest captains in this IPL season. These teams have given plenty of thrilling moments whenever they have faced each other dating back to the 2008 IPL final. Rajasthan Royals are one of the few teams to have posed a tough challenge to CSK. If we consider the head-to-head stats, CSK have a slight edge with 12 wins in 20 matches.

The 21st chapter of the rivalry is going to be played on the 31st of March in Chennai. It is definitely going to be a very tight contest between bat and ball. Last time around when they met in IPL, England's wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler's scored a brilliant 95 which helped Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by four wickets.

#4 Fourth match against Mumbai Indians on 3rd April in Mumbai

The rivalry between CSK and MI is the most talked about in the Indian Premier League. It is termed as the 'Super Indian derby', as it is the battle of two heavyweights. The two teams have faced each other 26 times with Mumbai having 14 wins as opposed to 12 wins for CSK. They are one of the few sides to have a positive head-to-head against CSK. Also, MI is the only team to have defeated CSK twice in IPL finals.

CSK would be looking to defeat them on their home ground which could prove to be a huge psychological advantage as the tournament progresses. In their last meeting at the MCA stadium, CSK lost the match by 8 wickets where Rohit Sharma played a match-winning knock of 53 off 33 balls. Every fan in the country is looking forward to this match. Will it be 14-13 or 15-12? Only time will tell.

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