And we are just a few hours away from the IPL 2024 opening clash, CSK vs RCB in Chennai, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. One of the biggest delights for the fans would be to see MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli playing in a match together. But for CSK fans, that could soon turn into a pain, if Kohli finds a way to get going against the Yellows.
Former CSK batsman Matthew Hayden mentioned on the IPL curtain raiser show that the team needs to get Kohli out early in the powerplay itself. He added, while the runs may not come easy at a venue like Chennai, but if Kohli sticks out in the middle, then it could be a problem for the opposition.
CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024
In fact, Hayden first pointed out, that even Kohli has a mediocre strike-rate at Chepauk, but that could soon change, seeing the greatness of the man. “One thing is for certain, it’s a blockbuster showdown. Virat Kohli this year is going to be celebrated across all the games. His record is a 30 average at Chepauk stadium with a strike rate of 111.
“You know what that means? Someone like Virat, even the greatness of Virat has been reduced in terms of his overall performance at that venue. It is a tricky venue to bat on, especially as an opening batsman. It gets a weird tennis ball type bounce, it’s quite slow and difficult to play shots early, but the longer you bat, the game opens up and that’s where Virat can be at his most dangerous,” said Hayden.
“If he is prepared to bat the 20 overs, he can put together a match-winning performance. 200 is very accessible at Chinnaswamy but not necessarily at Chepauk Stadium. A 150, 130 at times has been plenty of runs when you get guys as good as Jadeja there who bowls stump to stump with the odd ball to turn and the odd ball that stays low, it’s really tricky, so they’re going to need Virat Kohli out early inside the powerplay. They’ve done so thrice over the last 5 innings, and they’ll need to do so for the 4th time,” he added.
