IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP Preview: ‘Must-Win’ Situation For Kings XI Punjab To Seal A Spot In Playoffs

Match Preview Chennai Super Kings Vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2020 UAE: After being beaten comprehensively by the Rajasthan Royals the last time around, KXIP will be keen on getting back to winning ways with a win against the Super Kings from Chennai.

Image: Twitter: @lionsdenkxip

IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings is the first team to be knocked out of the IPL 2020 tournament being played in Dubai. Since then it has notched two consecutive wins and on Sunday, would hope to finish the season with a victory when it takes on Kings XI Punjab at Abu Dhabi. While for KL Rahul's Kings XI Punjab their play-off chances are hanging by a thread. KXIP’s impressive five-match victory run was halted Friday night, following a 7-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals. This defeat has now put them in a must-win situation with their fate depending on other match results as well. KL Rahul is currently in impeccable form and has been leading Kings XI Punjab by example. The addition of Chris Gayle is the biggest positive for the side while Nicholas Pooran has been a vital cog in the middle-order. However, it is yet to be seen whether Mayank Agarwal, who has missed three games due to injury, returns to the side. The KXIP bowling unit disappointed in their previous outing against Rajasthan Royals. Ben Stokes’ batting kept them at bay for the entire game. But going forward, Rahul would expect his bowlers to strike back against CSK, who notched up a 10-wicket win in their previous fixture against KKR. The Chennai-based franchise, whose captain has been on the lookout for a ‘spark’ from his younger teammates, may just have found what they need in 23-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad in the form of back-to-back fifties against the Royal Challengers and the Kolkata Knight Riders at Dubai. With nothing but pride and a possible foray into the positions just ahead of them at stake, the MS Dhoni-led team will want to end the disastrous season on a high. Incredibly, fans of around five other franchises will also be hoping for CSK to end the season well, given what the result could mean for their teams. The return of Lungi Ngidi and New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner have balanced the CSK bowling unit and will look to keep the momentum going. Head to head: CSK: 14; KXIP: 9. Squads Chennai Super Kings: Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Kedar Jadhav, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla, Lungi Ngidi, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur, Monu Kumar, Mitchell Santner, R. Sai Kishore, N Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif Kings XI Punjab: K. L. Rahul (Capt.), Glenn Maxwell, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Sheldon Cottrell, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Arshdeep Singh, Hardus Viljoen, M. Ashwin, J. Suchith, Harpreet Brar, Darshan Nalkande, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh. Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Time: 3.30 pm (IST)