Follow UsWhen it is Virat Kohli, Chinnaswamy is already loud enough
When it is MS Dhoni, any stadium in the world is deafening to the chorus of Thala
Two of the greatest billable superstars India has ever seen, it would perhaps be the last dance for the duo together, letting many spend thousands of rupees in the black market to catch a glimpse on May 18 (Saturday). The unregulated structure of ticket selling business in India means a common man may find it extremely difficult to get in, but when has it been easy to get into Chinnaswamy?
After MS Dhoni said last year that he wanted to wave his final goodbye at the Chepauk, fans around the country have been waiting with bated breath to witness his every move.
He has already handed the reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who seems to have Dhoni’s perennial calm persona attached to him. With the mega auction coming up in 2025, there couldn’t have been a better chance for CSK to rebuild in the post-MS era.
So, if not the last game, this might be Dhoni’s final hurrah at the venue, where he has so many memories from the last twenty years to relive.
A win for the defending champions here will ensure CSK move ahead to book a berth in the playoffs – a second-place finish even. But unlike yesteryears, this will be a significantly huge challenge to overcome as RCB are coming into the encounter with five wins on the bounce and a passionate fan base waiting to remove the opposition from their perch.
What will make RCB fans sleep a lot better tonight is the fact that Virat Kohli is batting as well as he has ever been. Never has Kohli been this fluent with the bat, with this level of aggression in his batting, compensated further by Rajat Patidar’s form—who has hit five half-centuries already to reminisce his 2022 glories.
“The good thing is that it is crystal clear what we need to do,” RCB’s assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan said in the pre-match press conference. “Doesn't matter if it is a 20-over game or a five, six-over game. In the last two games, our captain has not won the toss. It goes to show how we have been playing. I don't think we will be spending too much time on whether we need to bat first or bowl first. We will take that as it comes.”
The mood in the CSK camp seemed a lot lighter. Even though they didn’t have the services of many of their first-choice foreign players - Matheesha Pathirana, Moeen Ali, and Mustafizur Rahman – for the Rajasthan Royals clash, it didn’t seem to bother them much. Neither did it have any kind of impact on their psyche during the pre-match nets.
If anything, RCB seemed more concerned about Will Jacks' absence, with their batting coach, Sridharan Sriram, spending too much time refining Glenn Maxwell’s batting in the last three days. For a middle-order saddled by incompetencies, how the openers set the game up and how Patidar adds on top of it would be a deciding factor.
However, everything will tend to naught if rain washes away the game.
The Sun has temporarily vanished from the Bengaluru sky in the last week or so. If the Indian Meteorological Department’s opinions are to be trusted here, things look pale from a cricketing perspective.
While Chinnaswamy’s excellent drainage system may soothe some pain, it could cost RCB, who are relying on a strong NRR boost, to stay clear of CSK.
“We prepare well as a bowling group, we have very good plans. And tomorrow is no different, RCB will have to try to beat us off our plans. And if they do that, well played to them. But if they don't, then... next season for them,” CSK bowling coach Dwayne Bravo said.
It has been a melancholic dream for them. Nothing has crippled them more than the “Next Season” tag, but if it had to end on Saturday, RCB could still take a lot of memories back on how they bounced back to survive in the league till the penultimate day of the tournament.
Hopefully, this will finally be their year! If not, there is always the “next year” to come back and paint the arena red again.