The Chennai Super Kings will play the Kings XI Punjab in the 34th game of the second edition of the IPL at the Centurion. They have yet to meet in the tournament before this match.

Currently, Chennai Super Kings have nine points from eight matches, where as the Kings have eight from as many.

Chennai (8/11 at Stan James to win match) did not have a great start to the tournament, with only Matthew Hayden (5/2 at Ladbrokes to be top Chennai batsman) being amongst runs. In the last couple of matches, Suresh Raina (4/1 at Sky Bet) and captain M.S.Dhoni (11/2 at Stan James to be Chennai’s top scorer) have begun to find form and that has ensured that the Super Kings have gone up to the second spot.

In the two games that Murali Vijay (5/1 at 888Sport to be top Chennai batsman) has given enough indication that he has the ability to clear the in-field and he is the man to watch out for.

As compared to the Super Kings, the Kings XI Punjab (13/10 at Boylesports) have been a little up and down in the tournament so far. They have lost two successive games, then won four, and then lost the next two again – including a crushing loss to the Rajasthan Royals

The issue for them has been that not too many of their top order batsmen are of the very aggressive mould, and the one who is – Yuvraj Singh (9/2 at Coral to be top Punjab scorer) – has looked out of colour. Kumar Sangakkara (4/1 at Coral to be top Punjab scorer) has been given a new responsibility of opening the inning, and that only means that he will have a better chance of getting to a bigger total.

Mahela Jayawardene’s form has been patchy and although 888Sport offers 6/1 for him to be the highest Punjab scorer, not too many will want to punt on him. Simon Katich (9/2 at Bet365) has only played two games, but one certainly gets a sense from the Aussie that once he gets set, he could go on to do well in the tournament.

Muthiah Muralitharan (10/3 at Stan James) was dropped from the side in the first game, and after that, it has been rather difficult to keep him away from the action. In fact, amongst bowlers who have bowled at least twenty overs in the tournament, his economy – at 5.45 runs per over – is second only to Lasith Malinga. With a player like Yuvraj Singh against Murali, it could get better, but then, two of Murali’s Sri Lankan team-mates also play in the Kings team! Yusuf Abdullah (11/2 at Stan James to be most economic bowler) may have been bashed around in the previous encounter, but he does hold the knack of picking up wickets, and in turn could contain the runs as well.

Tips:
Favourites: Chennai Super Kings (8/11 at Stan James)
Top Chennai batsman: Matthew Hayden (5/2 at Ladbrokes)
Top Kings XI Punjab: Kumar Sangakkara (4/1 at Coral)
Most economic bowler: Muthiah Muralitharan (10/3 at Stan James)