Thursday will see two matches being in the Indian Premier League as the contest intensifies, though slightly shrouded by off-field controversy of the spot-fixing claims being made. Kings XI Punjab square up against Chennai Super Kings in a match crucial for the fortunes of both sides.
For Kings XI Punjab, the equation is simple. They need to win their remaining two matches to be in with any chance of making it to the playoffs, as a defeat will eliminate them. Their opponents, Chennai Super Kings, have a slightly uncertain scenario when even a defeat will not rule them out, leaving them at the mercy of other matches’ results while a win too does not guarantee a spot, at least theoretically.
For the Kings XI Punjab, their defeat to Delhi Daredevils proved costly and now face a stiff challenge from Chennai before squaring up against Delhi once again. David Hussey has led the team exceptionally well in Adam Gilchrist’s absence though would expect better from his batsmen than the last match’s effort.
Shaun Marsh needs to rediscover his magical touch while Azhar Mahmood will be hoping to reproduce his bowling spell that accounted for Chennai last time the two teams met.
Chennai Super Kings, the two-time defending champions, have had a rocky campaign but did well to register a much needed win against Kolkata Knight Riders. Michael Hussey scored a crucial half-century with contributions from Murali Vijay also paving the way.
Captain MS Dhoni, however, is faced with the challenge of finding the right balance for his team in the final league match after which they will just have to wait and see how other results unfold. Dwyane Bravo and Albie Morkel have usually fought for one spot and it remains to be seen if both will play at the expense of Ben Hilfenhaus.
The match will be played in Dharamsala at 4.00pm.