The second match of the Sunday double-header in the IPL 2025 season will be played between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). Both teams meet after early setbacks. This will be the 11th match of the IPL 2025, set to take place at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

Early Setbacks for CSK

CSK suffered a crushing home defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), raising concerns about their team setup. As a result, fans question why Ruturaj Gaikwad bats at No. 3 instead of opening with Devon Conway. Would moving Rachin Ravindra down the order work better? Meanwhile, Shivam Dube, a key spin hitter in CSK’s 2023 title run, now bats at No. 6. Another mystery is MS Dhoni's position. Surprisingly, he came in as late as No. 9 against RCB. Despite these issues, CSK has won at least one game. On the other hand, RR has lost both matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal struggles to find form, while stand-in captain Riyan Parag plays a new role at No. 3.

RR’s Batting Issues

RR faces several challenges in their batting order. For instance, should Shimron Hetmyer bat higher? Additionally, the team lacks overseas batting backups. Their two Indian options, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Kunal Singh Rathore, lack experience. Furthermore, their strategy of playing one batter less raises concerns despite the Impact Player rule. Nevertheless, RR can take confidence from their aggressive chase of 242 against Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 287. Meanwhile, CSK has little time to regroup, as they arrive in Guwahati just a day before the match. The long journey might affect their performance.

Team Strategies

Several players have switched teams this season. Notably, Tushar Deshpande, once a trusted CSK bowler, now plays for RR. Similarly, Shivam Dube, a former RR player, is now key for CSK. Moreover, Maheesh Theekshana, CSK’s powerplay specialist, now plays the same role for RR. CSK rarely changes its lineup, but adjustments may help. For example, replacing Sam Curran with Devon Conway could strengthen the top order. This change could also allow Vijay Shankar as a batting all-rounder or Anshul Kamboj as a bowling all-rounder. Additionally, Rahul Tripathi could serve as an Impact Sub. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson might serve as RR’s Impact Player for bowling. Given that KKR’s spinners dominated in Guwahati, RR might bring in Kumar Kartikeya.

Pitch and Conditions

Guwahati favors spinners. For example, Moeen Ali helped KKR overcome Sunil Narine’s absence in the last game here. Similarly, Varun Chakravarthy also bowled effectively with slower deliveries. Consequently, CSK might feel more comfortable in these conditions than at Chepauk. Coach Stephen Fleming believes Chepauk has not given them an advantage. He said in the press conference, "Just because we don't swing from ball one and have a little bit of luck go away… we'll see at the end who wins. It's a positive brand of cricket, no doubt about it, but don't discount us."

Probable XI's

Rajasthan Royals (RR): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag(c), Nitish Rana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhruv Jurel(w), Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Kunal Singh Rathore, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ashok Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi.