Players for the next few years!!!

As Harsha pointed out in his CNN-IBN Discussion, Chennai Super Kings' consistent performance owes a lot to their intelligent choices in the first auction. Picking Dhoni was a master-stroke. And focusing on T20 international all-rounders was also an intelligent decision. [VB deserves Kudos for this]  For the squad and prices paid, please refer http://blog.cskfansite.com/2008/02/chennai-super-kings-squad.html. But the auction that is coming up is much more crucial since 

1. Other Franchises are not so dumb any-more :)

2. This would be an eternal team unlike the first auction. 

Things We Know about the Auction 

1. It would happen in November. That means, Champions League in October provides CSK to analyse their players and an opportunity for players to increase their price tag. 

2. As the first auction showed, top four players' salaries would contribute 50% of the total salaries (i.e. 3.5 Million Dollars) and Top 7 players' salaries would be 75% of Total (i.e. 5.25 Million Dollars). So it is paramount that the team makes intelligent choices of the top 7 players. 

Things We don't know about the Auction

1. Still there is not enough clarity on how many players would be allowed to be retained by the franchises. Now that task of determining the number is assigned to Ravi Shastri, Gavasakar & Pataudi. Personally i expect  4 Domestic Players + 4 Foreign Players to be retained by the franchises. 

Indian Players who will stick with CSK

1. Dhoni - If you are not sure, hear his post-match talk

2. Local Boys Ashwin & Vijay - After their performance this season, they are bound to be tempted to try out the auction. But sticking with CSK would make more sense - For the simple reason that they are bound to get more opportunities in CSK Team. 

3. Badri & Balaji - Though Badri & Balaji might want to try green pastures, their best chances of playing in the team remains with CSK.. [Badri, If you are thinking about shifting loyalties, see what happened to Kaif after his move to KXIP]

Other Players I want to Retain

1. Raina - His consistent performance in 3 ipls has ensured that he would double his auction price. [I am sure one of the newer teams might even tempt him with captaincy]. Hope he sticks around since CSK setup would be lot better than others. 

2. Albie: His All round skills has allowed the team to play that extra player in the team. Hopes he also sticks around. Being a foreign player, I am sure his price would not increase  that much this auction

3. Dougie: Hope he stays. Don't know his price, so can't comment whether he would stay. 

3. Flintoff & Oram: Being all-rounders, I would like them to stay.. I expect both of them to be fit for the Champions League. So can make an informed after their CL performance. But Flintoff's price should be rationalized since international players would not get so much money IPL4. (unless ofcourse you are Kerren Pollard)

4. Ntini, Murali & Hussey: For just being such good team players, they are worth every penny.. 

Summing Up

Indian Players I want to Retain(In the Order of Preference)

1. Dhoni

2. Raina

3. Vijay

4. Ashwin

5. Badri

6. Anirudha

7. Balaji

8. Tyagi

Players I Don't Want to Retain

1. Gony

2. Joginder

3. Parthiv Patel

4. Pererra

Foreign Players to be Retained 

1. Albie

2. Dougie

3. Oram

4. Flintoff

5. Murali

6. Hussey

7. Ntini

My Wishlist For Auction (I have not included any doubtful players who might or might not be retained)

1. Dinesh Karthick & Yo Mahesh (Expect DD to retain only Sehwag, Gambhir, Nehra & Mishra)

2. Any of these Foreign Players Not Retained by DD  - Warner/Dilshan/Maharoof

3. Shane Watson

4. Ravindra Jadeja

5. Sohail Tanvir

6. Vignesh & Satish

7. Mithun & Manish Pandey (Future Players to look out for. I am sure they would also come cheap)

What are your picks??

WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Finally.. IPL Champions. And our name inscribed in that cup..

Here are my Heroes of this campaign
1. Raina
2. Dhoni
3. Ashwin
4. Bollinger
5. Vijay

Who are your heroes????

Finals We have been Waiting for!!!

IPL3 has been a season of ups and downs for the team. It started badly in the first half of the group stages - losing 5 of the first 7 games. That super over loss against KXIP in the first half is still in my memory. But then the team made a remarkable turnaround in the second half - inspired by the performance of the local boys - Ashwin & Vijay and the new-recruit Dougie. 

And thanks to some fine bowling in the semifinals, WE ARE IN THE FINALS. Playing against the best team of IPL3 so far. A dream final for the media - since they are able to pit  it as Dhoni Vs Sachin contest. But CSK fans would be having 'guilty' pleasure that Sachin is doubtful for the finals. 

CSK My XI:

1. Anirudha 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7. Hussey/Kemp 8. Ashwin 9. Jakati 10. Murali 11. Dougie

Hayden's performance on the semifinals showed clearly that he should be dropped. In the entire innings, he was trying to play across the ball. And not even once he tried to walk down the pitch when the ball was moving sidewise. Since the pitch for the finals would be a lot slower, it might not even provide him the chance for redemption. Hope the team management asks Anirudha or Hussey or Kemp to open in this important match. 

MI Probable XI

1. Jayasuria 2. Dhawan 3. Tiwary 4. Rayadu 5. Duminy/Bravo 6. Pollard 7. Nayar 8. Harbhajan 9. Zaheer 10. Kulkarani 11. Malinga

Most Dangerous Players

1. Harbhajan: In the slow pitch with spongy bounce, we can expect Harbhajan to be handful against any opposition team. He would also be pumped for this big match. 

2. Pollard: His performance was the key difference between Mumbai and Bangalore in the semis. Not only he blew Bangalore away with his batting but also took a few important wickets. His wicket would be very crucial tomorrow. 

3. Zaheer: Being the stand-in captain, he would like to lead the team with his performance. Hope the openers don't lose any early wickets to him. 

Favorites: With respect to the finals,  Mumbai have various things going for them 

1. They are the in-form team this IPL -  with 11 wins so far. 

2. They would be playing in a capacity crowd that would be backing them to the hilt

3. Most of their players have struck form in this IPL

But still Chennai has 'it' in them to defeat the team - as they showed in the match against Mumbai in Chennai.Hope they pick the right XI and play to their potential. 

CSK Qualifies for Another Finals!!!

Great Bowling Effort. A match in which the bowlers proved their worth. A special mention about the middle order batsman to ensure that the team reached a defend-able total. Finals against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai is going to be a tough match. And today's performance showed that CSK has 'it' in them to defeat Mumbai before their home crowd. 

Positives:

1. Brave Team Selection: It was a brave decision (and a correct decision) to pick 3 spin bowlers in the pitch. Hope they have the same bowling attack for the finals too.  

2. We trust in Dougie: Whoever made the decision and put the effort to get Dougie deserves kudos. What a performance from Dougie. Another Australian that Chennai crowd are going to love forever. 

3. Ashwin: What a revelation he has been. Hope he repeats this performance in the next match too. 

4. Anirudha: Though he has been in and out of the team, he never got a chance to show his potential. Today he showed why he deserved to be picked ahead of other domestic batsman in the team. His little cameo ensured that the team crossed that psychological crucial 140.

5. Badri: Another good performance. Ensured that he did what the team expected of him.

Negatives:

1. Openers - Vijay & Hayden: Another failure... Hayden's performance today showed clearly that he should be dropped for the next match. Time to ask either Anirudha or Hussey or Kemp to open for the next match. 

But the best news is that we will see our beloved team playing again this year in Champions League. 

Fan's Man of the Match: Dougie. As the commentators pointed out, he is one of the key reason for CSK's revival in the second half of the tournament. 

No More Mistakes, Please!!!

Another IPL Season. Another Time CSK Qualified for Semifinals. To be the only team to have qualified for all the three semifinals deserves some special mention for the efforts of the team. But still I could not forget the Team's let down in the last year's semifinals. So it is very important that the team selects the right team and executes its plan properly.

A Tired Team:The team reached back Chennai only yesterday and were forced to travel today to Mumbai. So the team may not have much time to plan and practice for the semifinals.

Chennai My XI:

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7. Badani/Anirudha 8. Ashwin 9. Jakati 10. Murali 11. Dougie

It is time to be brave and pick 3 spinners in the team. As showed in today's match between MI & RCB, the spinners were able to dominate the game better than pace bowlers.

DC Probable XI

1. AC Gilchrist 2. MD Mishra 3. TL Suman 4. RG Sharma 5. A Symonds 6. Sumanth 7. MR Marsh 8. RP Singh 9. PP Ojha 10. Vaas 11. Harmeet Singh

Most Dangerous Players

1. Gilchrist: Only one batsman in Deccan chargers, who can outdo Hayden (that too, without a Mongoose bat). Just hoping that Gilchrist does not repeat his performance in last year's semifinals. (To know what he did, just have a look at last year's semifinal scorecard).
2. Symonds & Rohit: Fortunes of Deccan Chargers' batting would be decided on how they handle the middle and the last overs. It is crucial that Chennai Super Kings take their wickets cheaply

Royal Contests

1. Dougie Vs Gilchrist: If Dougie keeps Gilchrist in control or takes his wicket early, Chennai Super Kings would have won half their battle.

Favorites: Thanks to the last five wins, Deccan Chargers are coming to the match with a lot of momentum. They are also the in-form team in the semifinals. But Chennai Super Kings has 'it' in them to stop the momentum. Surely it would be a very interesting match. If Hayden or Gilchrist find form, expect their respective team to coast easily to finals. 

CSK's Faith in Dhoni is not in Vain

After the disastrous batting performance in the last match, the batsmen redeemed them self today. Good to see the entire middle order contributing. It was good to see the team plucking a victory from the jaws of defeat. (Unlike the last time, when they did the vice-versa)

Positives:
1. Dhoni Among Runs: Nice to see Dhoni among runs in the tournament. Expect him to continue the good form for the next two matches.
2. Team Selection: Finally Fleming got the team right. But in hindsight, Murali should have played instead of Jakati. Since 5 of the top six batsman of KXIP are left handers.
3. Ashwin: Another good performance by him. Turnaround in the second half was built on the performance of local lads - Ashwin & Vijay
4. Badri & Raina: Good Cameos by both of them. If CSK has to win this IPL, it would hugely dependent on Raina's performance. It was a good performance by Badri too. But he should not have allowed those 5 dot balls in a single Piyush over.

Negatives:
1. Dropped Catches: Dropped Catch of Shaun Marsh by Albie Morkel was the difference between 140+ score and 190+ score. That wicket would have made the match a lot easier to win.
2. Hayden: I believe it is time to drop Hayden from the team and ask either Hussey or Bailey to open for CSK.

Fan's Man of the Match: Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings' Quarterfinals

After the disastrous first half, most of the cricket experts wrote off Chennai Super Kings. But the team has proved naysayers wrong by just hanging onto the tournament. 
Tomorrow match is a quarterfinal match for the team. Win the match and then play DD Vs DC winner in the semifinals. Lose the match and be knocked out of the tournament. 

Add to this mixture,  shameful loss to KXIP in Chennai. A win in that match would have ensured the semifinal spot for CSK by now. But as the fate would have been, the team has to win the game tomorrow to qualify for the semis. 

CSK My XI

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Hussey 5. Dhoni 6. Albie 7. Badri 8. Jakati 9. Ashwin 10. Dougie 11. Tyagi

Why i prefer Fleming to drop Murali?

As the last match showed, the pitch has a lot of grass in it. Showed it is more pace friendly than spinner friendly. Playing more than 2  Spinners would be a huge mistake in this pitch. 

Why i prefer Hussey?

In the track that favors pace bowlers and has a lot of bounce, it is better to have an additional Australian batsman. 

Punjab Probable XI:

1. DPMD Jayawardene 2. SE Marsh 3. KC Sangakkara 4. Yuvraj Singh 5. IK Pathan 6. K Goel 7. J Theron 8. RS Sodhi 9. PP Chawla 10. SJ Srivastava 11. VS Malik

Most Dangerous Players:

1. Jayawardene: Renaissance of KXIP was built on his performance. CSK has to get him cheaply. 

2. Marsh: He has not able to recreate his form of IPL Season 1. But he would be hoping to end this IPL with a bang so that KXIP retains him for the next season. 

Favorites: My faith is on Dhoni. 

A Poor Batting Performance

Again Chennai Super Kings' batting and team selection let the team down. Sometimes i don't understand why Fleming gets paid so much money when he can't make those simple right decisions. Another season in which our fates would be decided only in the last match. 

Positives:

1. Dougie & Ashwin: Another match in which Ashwin and Bollinger bowled beautifully in the first few overs and brought the contest on even terms after a shoddy display by batsmen. Thanks to their effort, our run rate has not suffered much. 

2. Badri: Just by staying till the end, Badri ensured that the team crossed 100 runs. His efforts also ensured that the run rate did not suffer much. 

Negatives:

1. Dropping Murali: Again Fleming & Dhoni erred by dropping Murali. A poor decision magnified by the is pitch. 4 Overs by Murali would have surely won us the match today. 

2. Dhoni at No:3: Again it showed that Dhoni has misread the pitch.CSK's best batsman of spin was out even before the spinner friendliness of the pitch was established. 

3. Hussey: Yeah! Hussey did well in IPL Season 1. But his show so far has been pretty ordinary. How many more chances will he get? 

4. Hayden: Another poor performance. Is it time to drop him from XI? But i still believe he would be crucial in the fresh pitch in Dharmasala and bouncy tracks of Bangalore. 

But all is not yet lost. If the team wins against Kings XI Punjab, it is bound to qualify for the semifinals. But we would have 3 more nights of nail-biting - watching other teams and praying that all the matches goes our way. 

Chennai Super Kings Needs Another Big Win

Tomorrow Chennai has a big match against Delhi Daredevils, the only team other than Chennai Super Kings to have qualified for the semifinals of both the seasons. A big win tomorrow would ensure that the team does not have to worry about the permutations and combinations for that final four semifinal slots. 

CSK My XI

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7.Badani/ Parthiv/Anirudha  8. Jakati 9. Ashwin 10. Murali 11. Dougie

Hope the team keeps the winning combination. World Class Players like Hayden & Murali would surely come good sooner than later. 

DD Probable XI

1. DA Warner 2. V Sehwag 3. G Gambhir 4. PD Collingwood 5. KD Karthik 6. AB De Villiers 7. DL Vettori 8. R Bhatia 9. Sangwan 10. A Mishra 11. A Nehra

Most Dangerous Players

1. Sehwag: He nearly won the match when the teams played each other last time. Only a similar Haydos Mongoose Mayhem saved Chennai. 

2. Gambhir: He has been in fine nick in the last few matches. Really unlucky to get run out in those important matches. 

If the Chennai Super Kings are able to dismiss Delhi Daredevils' top order in the power play overs, half the job is done. In that respect, Ashwin & Dougie are very crucial for this match. 

One thing we can be sure about. A mouth watering and a very interesting match awaits CSK Fans tomorrow

Dominating Performance by Chennai Super Kings

Thanks to today's dominating performance, Chennai Super Kings have climbed to No:2. A fine response after the poor performance against Deccan Chargers. 

Positives:

1. Ashwin: What a revelation he has been... in the power play overs. Singlehandedly won the match for Chennai Super Kings. Was unlucky to be denied his hat-trick by the umpire. 

2. Vijay: Renaissance of Chennai Super Kings is brought by this youngster. He has all the attributes to become the future captain of the Chennai Super Kings. 

3. Raina: A good performance from him. His first four was a 'class act' that set the tone for the entire innings. It would be essential that he keeps scoring those crucial fifties for Chennai Super Kings to qualify for the next stage. 

4. Bollinger: His bowling was as critical as Ashwin to today's win. 

5. Fleming & Co.: Good to see Fleming keeping his eyes on the run rate. 

Negatives:

1. Murali: It seems as though being dropped has changed Murali. Hope he remembers he is "Murali" and wins the  next match for Chennai Super Kings. 

2. Hayden: Haydos, Please come back to form. 

Fan's Man of the Match: Ashwin, the first CSK Bowler to win Man of the Match this season. 

Next match against Delhi Daredevils gets interesting since both the teams are on the same points. 

An Important Match for Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings need to win all the rest of the matches to assure them self of a semi-final spot. Kolkata Knight Riders are also in the same position. So it should be interesting to see these teams fight for the semifinal spot. First the good news for Chennai Super Kings

1. Albie Morkel is fit. He bowled and batted yesterday on the nets. So expect both Morkel and Murali back on the team. But it would be interesting to see who among Jakati and Ashwin is dropped to make way for Murali

2. We are back in Chennai. In the second half of the tournament, Chennai pitch and ground has been kind to the team. Backed by the passionate crowd, the team has won all the three matches. I am sure tomorrow too, the team would be backing itself to win the match. 

But the bad news is that Chennai Super Kings are coming up against a well balanced Kolkata Knight Riders. 

CSK My XI:

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7.Badani/ Parthiv  8. Jakati 9. Ashwin 10. Murali 11. Dougie

It is time the Australians in the squad - Hayden & Dougie started providing justification for their big bucks. 

KKR Probable XI:

1. SC Ganguly 2. CH Gayle 3. BB McCullum 4. MK Tiwary  5 . CA Pujara 6. WP Saha 7. AB Agarkar 8. AB Dinda 9. Bond 10. I Sharma 11. BAW Mendis

Most Dangerous Players:

1. Gayle & Ganguly: Both have been consistent in giving good starts to the team. Hope Dougie gets them early. 

2. McCullum: Though G & G have been giving good starts, the middle order of KKR have not properly capitalized on that. The key reason for that failure is this man. The day he comes good, he can singlehandedly win the match. 

It is CSK's batting Vs KKR's Batting. Should be an interesting match to watch. 

A Poor Performance by CSK

Chennai Super Kings have only them self to blame for today's defeat. None of the batsman other than Raina took charge. A very poor batting performance. Ashwin's fine bowling brought the game on even cards, only lost by the team's selection of Thushara ahead of Murali. 


Positives:
1. Ashwin: Wonderful performance by him. His four overs gave the team a glimmer of hope of winning the game.


Negatives:
1. Hayden: His performance this IPL has not been good this year. Except for that one match against Delhi Daredevils, he has never got going for the team. 
2. Team Selection: They got away with dropping Murali once. But today's match clearly showed why Murali should never have been dropped
3. Dhoni & Hussey: One of these experienced batsmen should have stayed on. 


With this loss, the team find itself in a position to win the rest of the games to qualify for the semi-finals.  

Will CSK end Decan Chargers' Campaign?

In the intermediate three day rest for the team, the entire picture of IPL has changed. From a 2 way fight between RR & CSK for the final semifinal spot, it has become a five way tussle for 2 slots. In this interesting scenario, Chennai Super Kings play Deccan Chargers today at Nagpur. I am sure all the other three teams would be watching this game closely. If CSK win today, Deccan Chargers semifinal campaign comes to an end and If it loses, it is a huge setback for Chennai Super Kings. 

Chennai My XI:

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7. Anirudha 8. Jakati 9. Tyagi 10. Murali 11. Dougie

DC Probable XI

1. AC Gilchrist 2. MD Mishra 3. TL Suman 4. RG Sharma 5. A Symonds 6. Y Venugopal Rao 7. MR Marsh 8. RP Singh 9. PP Ojha 10. RJ Harris 11. Harmeet Singh

Most Dangerous Players

1. Gilchrist: Only one batsman in Deccan chargers, who can outdo Hayden (that too, without a Mongoose bat). Just hoping that Gilchrist does not repeat his performance of Season 1. (To know what he did, read the gentleman show. Also it is time we see another 50+ innings from Hayden).
2. Symonds: Fortunes of Deccan Chargers' batting would be decided on how they handle the last few overs. Like the last match, they would expect Symonds to blast opposition bowlers all over the park. 

Royal Contests

1. Dougie Vs Gilchrist: If Dougie keeps Gilchrist in control or takes his wicket early, Chennai Super Kings would have won half their battle.

Favorites: Coming on the back of 3 wins, Chennai Super Kings are the favorites. But it would foolish to predict anything against a team that comprises Gilchrist and Symonds.

Chennai Super Kings show Mumbai their place

Another Chennai Super Kings Day. 3 wins in a row. Chennai Super Kings have further strengthened their claim for the fourth semifinal spot. 

Positives

1. Team Effort:  Good to see a win that did not belong to any individual.  It was a true team effort. Good Fielding. No Dropped Catches. Great!

2. Bowlers: Amazing effort by all the bowlers. Hats off to them. 

3. Captaincy: A match in which Dhoni clearly stamped his class. 

Negatives:

1. Dropping Murali: Thankfully Mumbai Indians are not the strongest batting side. Otherwise this decision could have easily backfired. 

2. Hussey: Even in the slow pitch, I would have expected Hussey to score at >150% strike rate. 

Fan's Man of the Match: Dhoni. His Quick fire 30 and the astute captaincy set up this wonderful win. 


WTF Comment: Did Modi pay the people to get his signature????

Big Match for Chennai Super Kings & Hayden

Tomorrow is the biggest match for Chennai Super Kings in its campaign for the final semifinal spot. A win would make them again as the leading contender for the fourth semifinal spot. A loss would backtrack the campaign. 

Even bigger pressure would be faced by Hayden. His average of 29 runs is the lowest among the top six batsmen in the team (Top six includes Badri too).Compare this average to the last year's average of 52+ runs. The gulf in his form is much more visible. I am sure the team would pick Hayden for this big clash against Mumbai Indians. But if he fails, the temptation to pick Hussey ahead of Hayden would be much more stronger. 

Chennai My XI:

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7. Anirudha 8. Jakati 9. Tyagi 10. Murali 11. Dougie

Mumbai Probable XI:

1. Sachin 2. Dhawan 3. Tiwary 4. Rayadu 5. Bravo 6. Pollard 7. Sathish 8. Mclaren 9. Harbhajan 10. Zaheer 11. Malinga

Though Mumbai Indians have won 7 games out of 8, they are still beatable. They might not be as strong as their results might showcase, but they have been clearly the strongest team in the first half of the tournament.

Most Dangerous Players

1. Sachin: He is they key to the entire batting order of Mumbai Indians. If we take his wicket cheaply, the job is half done. Let us also not forget that Chennai is one of Sachin's favorite hunting grounds. 

2. Bowling Attack: All the wins of Mumbai owe a lot to its bowling attack. Malinga, Mclaren, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Bravo have combined beautifully for Mumbai Indians and have delivered in all the matches. It is crucial that Chennai Super Kings scores against all the bowlers since there is no weak link in this bowling attack. I am sure the way that CSK batsman handle Harbhajan and Malinga would determine the match. 

Favorites: Mumbai Indians are the favorites. But you can't rule out Chennai Super Kings by any stretch. And surely Chennai Super Kings has 'it' in them to win the match tomorrow. 

Chennai Super Kings - Back in Contention for Semifinal Spot

Another massive win for Chennai Super Kings - Set by the amazing innings from Vijay & Albie Morkel. Chennai Super Kings are now back in contention for the semifinal spot. 

Positives

1. Team Selection: Finally! Fleming & Co. got their team right. Hope to see good decisions like this. 

2. Vijay:  Vijay made use of his good form. Hats off to his wonderful effort. Hope he continues the same form for the rest of the tournament. 

3. Albie: It was a great decisions to send Albie up the order. A good cameo that should give him a lot of confidence. 

4. Dougie: He showed what Chennai Super Kings were missing in the bowling department. Actually he was the difference between both the teams today. 

5. Tyagi: He was the second best bowler in the team. Unlucky to have 3 catches dropped of his bowling. Hopefully he would be improving on this performance. 

Negatives:

1. Bowling: Sad to see our bowlers allow 220+ runs. Thankfully, Rajasthan Royals bowlers were equally kind to us. Hope to see an improved performance in the next match. 

Fan's Man of the Match: Though Vijay played a great knock, it was Bollinger, who was the difference between both the teams. So my man of the match is Dougie Bollinger. 

Crucial Match Against Rajasthan Royals

Tomorrow's match is very crucial for Chennai Super Kings to keep their semifinal hopes alive. A win would help them leapfrog over Rajasthan Royals to become the sixth placed team  in the points table. (Not going by the points table since the teams have played different number of games)

CSK My XI:

1. Hayden 2. Vijay 3. Raina 4. Dhoni 5. Albie 6. Badri 7.Badani 8. Jakati 9. Tyagi 10. Murali 11. Dougie

RR Probable XI:

1. Lumb 2. Watson 3. Ojha 4. Fazal 5. Jhunjhunwala 6. Pathan 7. Dogra 8. Warne 9. Narwal 10. Tait 11. Trivedi

Most Dangerous Players

1. Shane Watson: IPL Season 1 - Man of the Series is back. Warne would be overjoyed to have his talisman back. Chennai should be cautious about both his bowling and batting.

2. Yusuf Pathan: Other Batsman in Rajasthan Royals team who can take apart any bowling. Hope it is one of his off-days tomorrow. Also his bowling will come handy in the slow chennai pitch. 

3. Warne: Though Warne might not have taken as many wickets as his peers - Murali & Kumble, he is still the best bowler of the team. 

Favorites: 

There are no clear favorites for this match. And the match would be most probably decided by Aussie cricketers - Hayden, Warne, Dougie & Watson.