For the legion of CSK fans, it will be a homecoming like no other as the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will play at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai for the first time since May 2015.
Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, the two franchises that returned to the IPL after serving bans in the aftermath of the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, will come face to face for the first time in the ongoing edition, keen to regain lost momentum in Pune, on Friday.
The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony.
CSK and Sunrisers Hyderabad (since inception) have traditionally been two of the most balanced sides in most IPL editions but both have ensured scratchy starts this year
New rules, new captains, but same excitement as two months of cricket extravaganza kicks off in Kolkata.
Time is fast running out for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, a team which desperately needs its batting to click when it takes on SunRisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Tuesday in a battle to keep its IPL hopes alive.
Mumbai Indians will look to extend their winning run and sneak into the top-four.
Chennai Super Kings seem to hold a slight edge going into the match as they have not only got the better of their southern rivals twice in the league stages but also have the winning momentum going into the match on what promises to be a bouncy track.
Josh Hazlewood decided to pull out of this year's IPL citing bubble fatigue and he also said that he wants to spend more time with his family.
With eight points from 11 games, RR are placed second from bottom in the eight-team table and a loss on Saturday will end their slim chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.
High on confidence after their fourth consecutive victory, Mumbai Indians will look to extend their winning run and sneak into the top-four when they lock horns with table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match at the Chepauk on Friday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to bounce back when they take on Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Hyderabad on Sunday.
In other big movements, Punjab Kings have released their last edition's captain Mayank Agarwal, while West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
It will be a big statement if Virat Kohli's young side could start off with a bang at Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'spritual home', a task which will be easier said than done.
The two sides experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective tournament opener.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is seriously contemplating reviewing the West Indies players' participation in the cash-rich Indian Premier League as the ongoing series ended abruptly today due to visiting team's payment dispute with their own cricket board.
After the first phase, which saw CSK openers dominating the proceedings, it's their bowlers who are coming to their own in the second phase.
Rediff.com takes a look at a few players who made a significant impact to their team's fortunes.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between CSK and Rajasthan Royals in Pune on Friday.
After a miserable IPL 2020 season, which saw Chennai Super Kings in 7th place on the IPL points table, CSK achieved a magical turnaround in IPL 2021 to be crowned champions after the final against the Kolkata Knight Riders on October 15, 2021.
Chennai Super Kings bowling consultant Eric Simons heaped praise on Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for executing plans perfectly and setting up a comfortable six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL opener in Chennai on Friday.
Malik has been the find of the season as he outsmarted the top batters of the world with his brutal pace.
Images from the IPL 2022 game between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir on Monday said that in the absence of Suresh Raina, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni should bat higher up the order for Chennai Super Kings in this year's Indian Premier League.
Sunrisers Hyderabad face an uphill task to find their way through in the ongoing Indian Premier League as they get ready to take on formidable Chennai Super Kings.
Images from Friday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, in Chennai.
Chennai Super Kings will be determined to erase their IPL 2020 nightmare when they failed to make it to the IPL play-offs for the first time.
CSK, LSG seek improvement in top-order batting after opening losses
It will be an uphill task for the defending champs given their opponents' form and formidable line-up.
On a roll after back-to-back wins, the vintage Chennai Super Kings would look to extend their winning run when they clash with struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their next IPL match in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Jadhav has suffered a grade two tear, coach Michael Hussey informed.
MS Dhoni will play for Pune in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai.
Faf du Plessis stroked an unbeaten half-century as Chennai Super Kings edged past Sunrisers Hyderabad by two wickets in Qualifier 1 to enter the IPL final, in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The Aussie showed his pedigree as he smashed 117 not out from 57 balls to help CSK crush the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets and claim their third IPL title.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai, on Monday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's tactical genius has played a big part in CSK reaching their 10th IPL final.
CSK's official Twitter handle posted a video in which the likes of Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Robin Uthappa, Cheteshwar Pujara can be seen paying a tribute to all frontline workers.
The presence of many players who are deep into their 30s is a boon and not bane for Chennai Super Kings as they head into the 13th IPL after the long coronavirus-forced break, the team's bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji said on Wednesday.
The Trinidad cricketer, who suffered the injury during the team's loss to Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, has been a key player for the defending champions, but went for runs in that game.
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