After a disappointing outing in Abu Dhabi, Kings XI Punjab return back to a familiar Dubai International Stadium, where they will face last season’s finalists Chennai Super Kings on Sunday in the Dream11 Indian Premier League. Both sides have had a bad start to their 2020 IPL campaigns, and will be looking for a turnaround as quickly as possible.

Aamne Saamne

Kings XI Punjab

Chennai Super Kings

9 wins

13 wins

Chennai Super Kings have the superior head-to-head record but it was KXIP who emerged victorious the last time these two sides met in 2019. Kings XI Punjab also recorded their highest successful chase when they faced Chennai Super Kings the one time in the UAE, with one of their current stars Glenn Maxwell being named man of the match on that occasion.

Batting de Baadshah

Mayank Agarwal

Faf du Plessis

246 runs

195 runs

Mayank Agarwal has been in exquisite form so far in the IPL, with a fifty and a century in the fourth game of the competition. The 29-year-old has given the franchise good starts in all the games so far, and alongside captain KL Rahul will be the main threat for Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

For CSK, Faf du Plessis has been a consistent performer at the top of the innings, with their only win of the campaign coming thanks to a fifty from him. Opening the batting, the South African batsman has the liberty to play his shots and take a few risks, thanks to the deep batting line-up of his side, and KXIP would hope to dismiss him cheaply on Sunday to get a foothold on the game.

Bowling de Kings

Mohammed Shami

Deepak Chahar

7 wickets

5 wickets

Mohammed Shami has been the most consistent performer for KXIP with ball in hand, picking up wickets in his first spell and proving economical in the death overs. The 29-year-old has made the most of the swing and bounce of the tracks in the UAE, and will look to have another successful outing on Sunday.

Deepak Chahar has provided a similar role to Shami for Chennai Super Kings, making the most of the early swing on offer in the UAE. The seamer has been an integral part of his franchise for the past couple of seasons, and CSK fans would be optimistic for Chahar to provide the breakthroughs yet again in IPL 2020.

Mudde di Baat

As things currently stand, KXIP and CSK find themselves second-last and last in the league table for the 2020 IPL. With games coming in thick and fast now, this clash on Sunday is crucial for both franchises to pick up the pace and embark on a run of good performances which can get them back towards the right end of the table.

Yaad Rakhiyo

  • Glenn Maxwell scored 95 off 43 balls against CSK in the UAE in 2014.
  • Mohammed Shami is only two wickets away from 50 IPL wickets.
  • Chennai Super Kings have only win while chasing this season in the IPL.

Probable XI

KL Rahul (c & wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Mandeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb ur Rahman.

Following the loss against Mumbai, one can expect a few changes in the KXIP team for this game. Chris Gayle could finally be given his chance while Mandeep Singh could be picked to sure up that middle-order. With the bigger boundaries in Dubai, KXIP could go heavy on spin with Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi and Mujeeb all getting some gametime.

NOTE: The aforementioned line-up is an educated guess at best, and the final decision rests with the captain and the team management depending on various external factors.