Venue: Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Date: March 30, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Match Overview
Two struggling giants, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), clash in Match 11 of IPL 2025 at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, both desperate for a turnaround. RR, winless after two games, face a CSK side reeling from a 50-run thrashing by RCB—their heaviest home defeat in IPL history.
Team Form & Key Concerns
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Winless Start: Lost to SRH (286/6) and KKR (151 all-out), struggling with batting collapses and bowling inefficiency.
- Captaincy Shake-Up:Riyan Parag leads in place of injured Sanju Samson (playing as Impact Player). Parag’s promotion to No. 3 has yielded mixed returns (4, 25).
- Bowling Woes: RR’s spin attack looks thin after releasing Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana must step up .
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Inconsistent Batting: Ruturaj Gaikwad (batting at No. 3) and Shivam Dube (underused at No. 6) are yet to fire. MS Dhoni (30* off 16 vs RCB) arrived too late at No. 9 .
- Bowling Bright Spot: Noor Ahmad (7 wickets in 2 games) is CSK’s standout, but pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana need support .
Key Battles to Watch
1. Noor Ahmad vs RR’s Middle Order: The Afghan spinner’s 7-wicket haul this season makes him a threat against RR’s shaky lineup, especially Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel .
2. Jofra Archer vs CSK’s Top Order: Archer’s pace against Rachin Ravindra (65* vs MI) and Gaikwad could decide the Powerplay .
3. Sanju Samson (Impact) vs CSK Spinners: Samson’s 66 off 37 vs SRH showed his form, but CSK’s Jadeja-Ashwin-Ahmad trio will test him .
Pitch & Conditions
- Surface: Batting-friendly with 8.57 run-rate historically. Spinners may grip as the game progresses (KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy took 3/16 here).
- Weather: Clear skies, 28–30°C at match start, dropping to 23°C later. Dew unlikely .
- Toss Factor: Teams chasing have won 50% here, but high scores (190+) are common .
Predicted XIs
Rajasthan Royals:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. Shubham Dubey
3. Riyan Parag (c)
4. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
5. Shimron Hetmyer
6. Wanindu Hasaranga
7. Jofra Archer
8. Tushar Deshpande
9. Maheesh Theekshana
10. Sandeep Sharma
11. Kumar Kartikeya
Impact Sub: Sanju Samson .
Chennai Super Kings:
1. Rachin Ravindra
2. Devon Conway
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
4. Shivam Dube
5. Ravindra Jadeja
6. MS Dhoni (wk)
7. Sam Curran
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Noor Ahmad
10. Matheesha Pathirana
11. Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Sub: Rahul Tripathi .
AI Predictions & Expert Insights
- ChatGPT: "RR’s explosive top order gives them a narrow edge, but CSK’s experience could prevail" .
- Google Gemini: "CSK have a 53% win probability due to head-to-head dominance (16–13)" .
- CricTracker: "Team bowling first will win" .
Final Verdict
With both teams searching for momentum, expect a tight contest. RR’s batting firepower vs CSK’s spin-heavy attack makes this a must-watch—especially if Gaikwad returns to open or Samson unleashes another blitz.
_AN1572653.jpg)
