Fight to get off the bottom rung | IPL 2020 Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings: SWOT Analysis

KL Rahul and MS Dhoni will both be desperate for a win when the Kings XI Punjab and the Chennai Super Kings lock horns at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in match 18 of the Indian Premier League.

Here's the SWOT analysis.

The SWOT for KXIP

Strengths: The form of K L Rahul and Mayank Agarwal is the biggest positive. The two are leading the batting charts. When they get going, things become simpler for the rest of the team.

Weaknesses: The rest of the batsmen have not shown up. Karun Nair, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan and Nicholas Pooran should make their presence felt.

Opportunities: The excitement of Maxwell has quickly faded away. It's time to give Chris Gayle a go. He could open with Rahul and Agarwal could come in at no. 3. Gayle is a T20 legend and has a unique gift. He can shake up the bowlers by just showing up.

Threats: With one win from four matches, there is enormous pressure on Rahul to deliver as a batsman, a wicketkeeper and as captain. Maybe he can hand over the gloves to Pooran to relieve himself of part of the burden.

The SWOT for CSK:

Strengths: The bowling is looking good for CSK. Deepak Chahar, Sam Curran and Piyush Chawla have so far snagged five wickets each. With Dwayne Bravo fit and back in the playing XI, the bowling has an added sting.

Weaknesses: Their immediate concern is the weak batting. Shane Watson is looking out of sorts. Murali Vijay has done nothing to justify his place. Kedar Jadhav is still searching for his rhythm. MS Dhoni keeps moving up and down the order. Ruturaj Gaikwad needs more time in the middle.

Opportunities: Imran Tahir needs to play. A champion bowler on the bench is a waste of resources. Tahir can take wickets at any stage of the innings.

Threats: Will this be the year they don't make it? CSK is the only team that has qualified for the playoffs in every season in which they've competed. With so many issues to iron out, the team is on the brink of not advancing for the first time.

Head to head:

Matches played: 22

Chennai Super Kings: 13

Kings XI Punjab: 9

Last five matches (most recent first):

Kings XI Punjab: L-L-W-L-W

Chennai Super Kings: L-L-L-W-L

Deccan Herald’s Dream XI

KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Faf du Plessis, Nicholas Pooran, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Curran, Piyush Chawla, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Shami, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir

Ground conditions

The sky will be clear. The temperature will be around 32 degrees celsius. The humidity could reach 70%. There will be a gentle breeze.

Team news

No injury concerns have been reported.

Impact player for CSK

Sam Curran: The bowling all-rounder has got five wickets and played some useful knocks. He could be CSK’s game-changer.

Impact player for KXIP

Mohammad Shami: The Indian pacer has eight wickets this season with an economy of 7.86 and an average of 14.75. He should be the one to bail KXIP out of trouble.

Betting odds (bet365)

Kings XI Punjab: 1/1

Chennai Super Kings: 4/5

How to watch

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 PM IST.