CSK look to shake off lethargy with eyes on first qualifier

Overview:

Intensity, rhythm, flow.It's what Stephen Fleming wants from his Chennai Super KIngs. It's what they didn't have in the last two games, which sullied the air of invincibility that they'd surprisingly built up with four wins on the bounce. CSK have spent the majority of this season thwarting predictions, and answering rhetorical questions in the affirmative. Can this squad really do well on the true pitches of Wankhede? An emphatic yes, with four wins in five. Can they avoid last season's fate with the shift to UAE?Again, yes, with four successive victories that put them right on track for a top-two finish. This is why the last two results will hurt.

The loss to RR in Abu Dhabi was down to the flat wicket and the emergence of dew, and was perhaps excusable, but the worrying performance came against Delhi Capitals, where they just couldn't accelerate through the middle. Fleming defended Dhoni's 27-ball 18 but urged his batsmen to be better at identifying the right par score on treacherous UAE pitches, which are only likely to get worse as playoffs begin.

While CSK are locked in, in a three-way tussle for top-two honours, PBKS are just about staying relevant in the race, with a herculean equation to attain and the stars to align like never before. KL Rahul's side, which has had yet another underwhelming campaign, need to overcome CSK by around 70 runs and then hope for fellow fourth-place aspirants KKR to lose by the same margin and for the most underperforming team this season - SRH - to beat Mumbai Indians.

PBKS' form guide in UAE - L W L W L - typifies the season and perhaps their current cycle, that is likely to end with a familiar personal consolation for KL Rahul being head and shoulders above everyone else in the squad, and up there with the best of the league.

When: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, October 7, 15:30 IST

Where: Dubai International Stadium

What to expect: Batting continues to be a struggle on the tired pitches of UAE. Only one fresh wicket in Abu Dhabi