IPL 2020, CSK vs RR: Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals battle to stay alive

The team meetings of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of their clash in Abu Dhabi on Monday are likely to be rather identical. Both sides, after all, squandered opportunities to emerge triumphant in their respective matches on Saturday and are in the exact same situation in the tournament with three wins and six losses from nine matches each.
Given that eight wins are usually needed in the league stage to qualify for the playoffs, CSK and RR have reached a stage where every match is a must-win from here.One of them is bound to be disappointed at the end of Monday night.
IPL 2020 POINTS TABLE
CSK's woes were compounded in the defeat to Delhi Capitals on Saturday with a groin injury to Dwayne Bravo in the dying stages of the match. He had bowled three overs on the night and would have bowled the final over if not for the injury.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming said on Saturday that Bravo's injury could rule him out for a few days or a couple of weeks. If it is the latter, Bravo - who underwent a scan on Sunday - may play no further part this season as CSK's last league game is on November 1.

Instead of Bravo, CSK are likely to bring in either Josh Hazlewood or Lungi Ngidi against Rajasthan. CSK have usually relied on Bravo at the death and will want Hazlewood or Ngidi to take up the mantle. While Imran Tahir or Mitchell Santner could also be in contention if the Abu Dhabi pitch is conducive to spin, a pace attack of Deepak Chahar, Sam Curran and Shardul Thakur leaves them short of options in the death overs.
Either way, it's crucial that CSK take all their chances against a struggling Rajasthan outfit. On Saturday, they dropped quite a few catches and it cost them dearly. While their fielding was sloppy during the last two seasons as well, they were at least able to seize the key moments on the field. That hasn't been the case this season.
"The boys have been working hard in practice with their catching, but it does come down to grabbing key moments on the day. Unfortunately, we couldn't and paid a heavy price. We need to make a mental change," Fleming reflected after the game on Saturday.

Royals, too, are woefully short of confidence. They started the season with two consecutive victories but have had little to smile about on the field since then. What will disappoint RR most about their last two games in particular is the fact that they haven't been to capitalise on advantageous positions. Against RCB on Saturday, they seemed in control of proceedings with their opponents needing 35 from the last two overs, but they were at the receiving end of AB de Villiers' brilliance.
The spotlight will be on the overseas stars. While Jofra Archer has delivered with the ball in recent games, Steven Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes haven't quite lived up to their reputations. Even in RR's three victories so far, two were largely down to the efforts of the unheralded Rahul Tewatia. The big names in the RR camp need to justify the big bucks. Time is running out!