The Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns in Match 11 of IPL 2025 at Guwahatiās Barsapara Cricket Stadium. With CSK reeling from a rare home loss and RR desperate for their first win, this clash promises high drama, tactical battles, and spin wizardry! Hereās your ultimate preview.
š Match Snapshot
- When:Ā Sunday, March 30, 2025 |Ā Time:Ā 7:30 PM IST
- Where:Ā Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
- Weather:Ā Humid, 28Ā°C |Ā Pitch:Ā Spin-friendly, slow surface
- Head-to-Head:Ā CSK lead 16-13 |Ā Since 2020:Ā RR lead 6-2
š„ Key Storylines
1. CSKās Chasing Curse š§āļø
CSK havenāt chased a 175+ target since 2021 ā a baffling 8-game losing streak! Despite winning 6 tosses, their batting crumbles under pressure.
- Key Stat:Ā Ruturaj Gaikwadās men lost 4/8 games batting second in IPL 2024.
2. RRās Guwahati Grief š
RRās āhomeā venue hasnāt been kind: 1 win in 5 matches since 2023. Stand-in skipper Riyan Parag vows to leverage local knowledge: āI know this pitch better than anyone!ā
3. Samsonās Sacrifice š§¤
Sanju Samson steps down as captain and wicketkeeper, handing duties to Parag and Dhruv Jurel. Will this role shift free him to unleash his batting fury?
š Tactical Breakdown
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Strengths:Ā Explosive openers (Yashasvi Jaiswal) + Jofra Archerās pace.
- Weaknesses:Ā Middle-order instability (Nitish Rana & Shimron Hetmyer inconsistent).
- Probable XII:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag (c), Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma.
Key Matchup:
- Jofra Archer vs Rahul Tripathi:Ā Tripathi averagesĀ 15.14Ā against short balls. Archerās bouncers could dominate!
| Batter | Avg vs Short Balls | Dismissals |
|---|---|---|
| Rahul Tripathi | 15.14 | 9 |
| Deepak Hooda | 17.1 | 7 |
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Strengths:Ā Spin trio (Ashwin, Jadeja, Noor Ahmad) + Death bowling (Matheesha Pathirana).
- Weaknesses:Ā Over-reliance on Gaikwad; Shivam Dubeās form slump.
- Probable XII:
Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed.
Key Matchup:
- R Ashwin vs Sanju Samson:Ā Ashwin has dismissed SamsonĀ 4 timesĀ in IPL, conceding at 7.2 economy.
š Players to Watch
| Player | Team | Role | Stat to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | Opener | 148.9 SR in IPL 2024 š„ |
| Ravindra Jadeja | CSK | All-rounder | 0 wickets in 2025 š Needs a breakthrough! |
| Riyan Parag | RR | Captain | Avg 22.3 in IPL 2024 ā redemption time? |
| Matheesha Pathirana | CSK | Death Specialist | 14 wickets in 7 games at death (2024) šÆ |
šļø Venue Guide: Barsapara Stadium
- Avg 1st Innings Score (2025):Ā 162
- Pitch Behavior:Ā Slow turners; spinners rule the first innings.
- Toss Trend:Ā Teams batting first won 60% of games here in 2024.
- Dew Factor:Ā Minimal ā no significant advantage for chasing.
š Head-to-Head Stats (RR vs CSK)
| Stat | RR | CSK |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 29 | 29 |
| Wins | 13 | 16 |
| Highest Total | 223/5 | 246/5 |
| Lowest Total | 102 | 109 |
| Top Run-Scorer | Jos Buttler (487) | MS Dhoni (634) |
| Top Wicket-Taker | Yuzvendra Chahal (14) | Dwayne Bravo (16) |
š§ Expert Predictions
- Harsha Bhogle:Ā āCSKās spinners will strangle RR, but Jaiswalās aggression could flip the script.ā
- Joy Bhattacharjya:Ā āIf CSK bat first, their experience will prevail. Chasing? Toss-up!ā
š® Match Prediction
CSK to win by 20-25 runs if they bat first. Their spinners (Ashwin, Jadeja, Noor) will exploit Guwahatiās slow track. RRās shaky middle order could crumble under pressure.
š¬ Fan Corner
- Trending Hashtags:Ā #RRvCSK #IPL2025 #ParagCaptaincy
- Meme of the Day:Ā āCSK chasing 175+ targets likeā¦āĀ š¢ (GIF of a sloth).
š£ Quotes to Note
- Riyan Parag (RR):Ā āWeāve cracked the Guwahati code. Trust me, itās our time!ā
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK):Ā āOur bowlers thrive on pitches like these. Letās make it count.ā
š Final Word
With CSKās spin arsenal and RRās explosive openers, this clash is a must-watch! Will Paragās leadership spark an RR revival, or will Dhoniās men extend their H2H dominance? Tune in for the fireworks!
Catch the action live on Star Sports & JioCinema! šŗā”
Stats updated as of March 2025. For real-time updates, follow #RRvCSK. š¦š„
š§© Squads
Chennai Super Kings
| Batters | All-rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Ravindra Jadeja | R Ashwin |
| Rachin Ravindra | Sam Curran | Matheesha Pathirana |
| Rahul Tripathi | Shivam Dube | Noor Ahmad |
| MS Dhoni (wk) | Deepak Hooda | Khaleel Ahmed |
Rajasthan Royals
| Batters | All-rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Riyan Parag (c) | Jofra Archer |
| Sanju Samson | Wanindu Hasaranga | Maheesh Theekshana |
| Dhruv Jurel (wk) | Shubham Dubey | Tushar Deshpande |
| Shimron Hetmyer | Sandeep Sharma |
ā Did You Know?
- Ravindra JadejaĀ has gone wicketless in his last 5 IPL games.
- Deepak HoodaĀ scored single-digit runs inĀ 13/23 inningsĀ since 2023.
- RRĀ have lost 80% of their matches in Guwahati.
Let the battle begin! š
