IPL 2020: RR vs CSK Game Plan 2 – CSK’s power death overs and Royals’ woes

The fourth match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the 4th game of IPL 2020 – RR vs CSK. RR vs CSK – The death overs […]
 

The fourth match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, could all be about match-ups. We take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the 4th game of IPL 2020 – RR vs CSK.

RR vs CSK – The death overs battle

Let’s face it. Chennai Super Kings is a difficult side to beat. They don’t exactly have the best T20 players, but have the right players in the right proportion tuned to play in a certain way, expertly man-managed by the MS Dhoni – Stephen Fleming combination. Cricket is a team sport and Chennai Super Kings are a TEAM. 

This is where beating Chennai becomes difficult as they work together as a well-oiled battery operated machine that has no power switch and stopping them would mean jamming them in various areas as there’s no one power button to turn off. But if there’s one area that CSK make up for their fallacies in other phases, it is the death overs. 

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Chennai score 24.24% of their total runs on an average in the final four overs since 2018 in the IPL, the highest by any team in the league in this period. Their whole batting template is built on maximising in the death overs and settling in during the other phases to help them take off in the death. They score just 27.06% runs in the powerplay, the least by any team and then slowly stepping it up in the middle overs to finally take off in the death. 

This is a perfect template to follow against Rajasthan Royals in particular. Despite the presence of someone like Jofra Archer, Rajasthan have been woeful in the death overs. In IPL 2019, they conceded runs at a rate of 11.33 in the death overs, the worst by any team in the league. 

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Jaydev Unadkat has been guilty of bowling with the worst economy rate across phases in the league since 2018 (10.08) for bowlers who bowled at least 200 balls. Though the surfaces in UAE should suit them, the overall picture painted is that Chennai are strong in the death with the bat, while Rajasthan aren’t with the ball. 

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Rajasthan need Archer to rediscover his mojo of 2018 in the death overs. The England seamer was outstanding in 2018 with his death bowling, conceding at a rate of 8.28 in the final four overs. However, in 2019, it jumped up to 9.4 although his economy in the powerplay and middle overs improved significantly.

Also read: RR vs CSK Game Plan 1 – Smith vs Jadeja