"Don't see MS Dhoni changing a combination that's working" - Former Indian cricketer feels CSK may not play Maheesh Theekshana vs RR in IPL 2023 

Former Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik feels the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) may not play Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana despite him being available for their clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday.

Theekshana was impressive for CSK last season but was unavailable for their first three games of IPL 2023 due to national duties. However, Kartik reckons that with the likes of Sisanda Magala and other overseas players having done well, captain MS Dhoni won't want to make many changes to a winning combination.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, here's what Murali Kartik had to say about CSK's team combination against RR:

"Although Theekshana has joined the CSK camp, I don't see MS Dhoni changing a combination that's working for the team. Magala bowled well at the death with his slower ones. So I feel they will stick to that combination."

Veteran cricketer Manoj Tiwary was also present in the discussion and gave his opinion on the injury woes that Chennai have with Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar likely to be unavailable for the game against Rajasthan.

On this, he said:

"Definitely it's a headache when you come into a season and your main players like Stokes get injured. But then you have captain MS Dhoni who always ensured there are quality backups and they pick players who have done well in domestic cricket.

"So I feel Hangargekar will come in place of the injured Deepak Chahar as he has already played this season and done well."

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Murali Kartik on Ajinkya Rahane's sensational 61 for CSK vs MI

Murali Kartik hailed the experienced Ajinkya Rahane for his solid knock of 61 off just 27 balls against the Mumbai Indians in the last game that helped Chennai get two points. He feels Rahane is wrongly termed as a 'Test specialist' and recalled the days when he used to score consistently for the Rajasthan Royals.

Speaking about Rahane's importance in the conditions in Chennai, Kartik stated:

"I loved the way Ajinkya Rahane batted. Just too good. I remember how he had scored the fastest hundred when at Rajasthan and still many consider him just as a Test specialist. It will be interesting to see how he bats on the Chennai surface."

If the pitch at the Chepauk offers significant grip and turn, it could be a test for batters from both teams as they would like the ball to come on to the bat.