CSK batting line-up set to be rejigged for du Plessis' sake

“I am not sure if the opening slot will keep changing or not. We haven’t had those discussions with the coach. But purely with the way Rayudu is batting in the middle, I would make sure that he is at No.4 for his skills,” the South African captain concluded.

“If Watson and I can give the team a solid start, Suresh (Raina) at three and Rayudu at four can just come in and play their natural game. It can become dangerous for the opposition,” Du Plessis added making it clear that the CSK team management have confirmed Rayudu at No.4.

“Rayudu’s flexibility has impressed me. You can put him at any position from No.1 to No. 11. He will score runs. But the ability to come in at 4 and score boundaries from the outset is something which makes him unique. It is a very difficult skill and not everyone can do that. So if you ask me, I would say Rayudu coming at No. 4 slot is the best for the team,” he said in the press conference.

With 370 runs in the IPL, Rayudu is CSK’s highest run scorer and only 4 runs behind the IPL Orange cap holder Rishabh Pant.

The duo of Watson and du Plessis put together a 102-run opening partnership in CSK’s last match against the Daredevils.

Rayudu is all set to bat at No. 4, where he has batted twice in this year’s IPL, scoring 79 and 41 respectively.

If one had to name one performer, who has impressed the most in this year’s IPL, it has to be Ambati Raydu.

The Hyderabad right-hander has batted in every position and scored runs at will. But he has been most effective in the opening position along with former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson.

However, the franchise seems to have some other ideas in mind as they are set to give Rayudu a permanent middle order slot in the batting line up.

The reason for the permanent shift is South African captain Faf du Plessis, who will open the batting with Shane Watson.

Chennai Super Kings have the opportunity to become the first team to ensure qualification in IPL 2018 on Thursday when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their own backyard.

To ensure smooth sailing, CSK are set to make a big change in their formation going into the KKR match.

In this situation, if the Yellow brigade manages to beat Knight Riders in Kolkata then they would have one foot into the play-offs.

Super Kings are sitting at the top of the table with six wins in eight matches and they also have the healthiest run rate of +.553.