The Indian Premier League heads back to Chepauk on Wednesday for the one match which takes place in the IPL 2025 season as the Chennai Super Kings go up against the Punjab Kings in a clash much the bigger for the visitors.
The Punjab Kings are well in contention to make it through to the postseason and a win here will enhance those hopes. The Super Kings can no longer make the finals so they are just looking for combinations ahead of next season.
Chennai Super Kings
This always looked like it might be an all or nothing campaign for the Chennai Super Kings. They looked an old and outdated side on paper going into the season and that is exactly how it has played out. Until injuries forced their hand, they were nowhere near dynamic enough at the top of the order and although they have improved in that department now, they are probably a batter or two light and it has shown up massively in their results.
The fact that Chennai can no longer make it into the playoffs could be a benefit to them for next season because they should be getting some young blood blooded into the side and they have the chance to see exactly which overseas players can be of a benefit to them. They will still want to win, especially when they are at home in front of their passionate fanbase, but the task at hand now is to build for the future and they can do that without any competitive pressure on them.
Punjab Kings
That certainly isn’t the case for the Punjab Kings. They go into this one knowing that a win will move them into second spot and they will be completely in control of their own destiny for the remainder of the season as they look to end this long barren run without an appearance in the finals. They will know there isn’t a huge amount of room to lose because the table is beginning to bunch up a little behind them so the more distance they can put between themselves and the chasing pack the better.
The Kings have been messed about a bit by the weather in recent times but they should have the tools to win this one. They are dynamic at the top of the order and if they can get ahead of the game against a team low on confidence then you would imagine that they will be able to ride their way home. There will be some questions on their bowlers here in conditions that are different to everywhere else but they have enough spin in their ranks to be ok.
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Key Players
When you consider that Ravi Jadeja is batting at four for the Chennai Super Kings these days and coming on to bowl pretty much as soon as the powerplay is done and dusted, the India international is a key men for the yellow army.
Glenn Maxwell returned to the side after a spell out against Kolkata in the rained off match last time out and he could be key here because his off spin will be handy and his ability to clobber spin, which we haven’t seen much of in this tournament, will be useful too.
Betting
As we know, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is the lowest scoring venue in the competition and I’m not sure that is going to change from here on in. Chennai Super Kings are yet to put up more than 158 on this ground this term and that is in five innings. A pretty weak Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling unit has just bowled them out for 154 here too and there is no question that the Punjab Kings attack is better than that one.
I do think Punjab will win the game but they are priced accordingly but there is one concern over them and that is a lack of runs in the middle order. Clearly they have players much better than what they are showing and they could come good at any time but generally in their own conditions Chennai are hard to score on so I’m expecting a lowish scoring game here. The run line for this one is 343.5 and the under has cashed in all five games here so far. With the pitches tiring I would expect it to cash again here too.
Tips
Back Under 343.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Betway
