IPL 2020: RCB vs CSK Game Plan 1 – The 10-over struggle for CSK

RCB vs CSK – The forty-fourth match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the forty-fourth game of the IPL – RCB vs CSK

RCB vs CSK – The middle over slump

Three-time champions and one of the most successful IPL teams Chennai Super Kings are having a horrible season this year. Out of the many ‘holes in the ship’ as mentioned by MS Dhoni, one of the major weaknesses is the lack of intent in middle overs, more so when they have lost a couple of wickets early.

Till the end of Match 41: CSK vs MI

Till the end of the forty-first game (CSK vs MI), CSK batsmen have scored at the slowest pace and also have the lowest batting average. No team except CSK and RCB have scored below 7 runs per over in overs 7-10 and except CSK and KKR no team has averaged below 30; implying that CSK have neither been able to score at a decent pace nor have they been able to keep wickets intact. In the games where they have batted second, more often than not the chase was completely killed in this phase due to the immense pressure build for the later half of the innings.

Spinners have been quite successful in tying the CSK batsmen down both in middle overs as well as powerplays. Pacers have taken wickets very frequently in the powerplays and have also managed to put the brakes on the scoring. The below-par powerplay performance followed by the choke in the next 4 overs-phase has been the story of CSK’s batting for most of the season.

RCB have just the right bowling attack to put the yellow brigade in a similar situation yet again like they did when the first time these two sides met this season. They can either start with express pace and swing with Morris, Siraj and Saini or use one of the best powerplay spinners this season in the form of Sundar. With Chahal, they have the best exponent to suck the life out of the CSK middle order.

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For CSK, they need to have a steady start in the powerplays and not lose too many wickets and make sure they don’t go into a shell while doing so.