IPL 2021, PBKS vs CSK: 3 player battles to watch out for

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday (April 16) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with the latter looking to get their first win on the board.

Currently, at the bottom of the table, MS Dhoni's men will be up against KL Rahul & co., who snatched a morale-boosting win against the Rajasthan Royals earlier this week.

With both sides filled with superstars, the match will make for an intriguing contest between the best of the best. The encounter is simply a battle between street-smart veterans and a team brimming with young talent.

We take a look at 3 CSK v PBKS player battles that will make for an interesting watch:

1. KL Rahul vs. Sam Curran

The PBKS skipper has been in fine form and will be looking to extend that purple patch throughout the IPL. English all-rounder Sam Curran will, however, be looking to arrest that good run.

Curran comes into this game with 23 IPL wickets to his name. He missed out on chalking this figure up in CSK's first game and will be keen to be among the wicket-takers.

Rahul stroked his way to a sublime 91 off 50 deliveries in their close win against RR and will be aiming to be among the runs once again.

2. Arshdeep Singh vs. Faf du Plessis

Arshdeep Singh was the game-changer for PBKS in their season opener and will be key to getting rid of CSK's established top order. He will be up against Faf du Plessis, a South African with a penchant for big scores when he gets going.

After being dismissed for a duck in their first match against the Delhi Capitals, he will be looking to get some runs in the bank. Arshdeep, meanwhile, had a fruitful outing with the ball, bagging 3/35 and helping PBKS to a four-run win in their first game.

3. CSK's best bet: Ravindra Jadeja vs. Chris Gayle

Jadeja has 114 wickets in the IPL, with 96 of them coming in CSK's colours. However, the spinner has been unsuccessful against Gayle in their previous match-ups, dismissing him only once. Going into IPL 2021, Jadeja will be keen to set the record straight and keep him quiet.

The Windies star showed he still had it in him as he lit up Mumbai with a 28-ball-40 against the Rajasthan Royals. Jadeja will be keen to get Gayle to mistime one of those booming hits and send him back to the dugout early. The left-arm tweaker will also be hoping to bag more than just Gayle's wicket as CSK's frontline spinner.