CSK and RR keep an eye on the future in dead rubber
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals probably can't wait for this IPL season to come to an end.
It's been that sort of a summer for both franchises, hurtling from one setback to another without ever seeming capable of fashioning a turnaround.
When they face each other in a dead rubber at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, it is revealing that a win will not do much more than possibly help avoid the ignominy of finishing last in the 10-team tournament.
M.S. Dhoni's CSK, with six points after 12 matches, is currently bottom of the points table. RR, placed ninth, also has the same number of points ahead of its 14th and final league game.
Glimmer of hope
Amid all the suffering, the performances of a few of the younger, inexperienced players should offer a glimmer of hope going into next season.
Coincidentally, both teams have looked towards teenage greenhorns to uplift their sagging spirits. In CSK's case, it was regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's fractured elbow that resulted in the franchise picking 17-year-old top-order batter Ayush Mhatre as an injury replacement a few games into the season. The Mumbaikar has showcased his precocious talent in the opportunities offered, racking up 163 runs in five matches with a best score of 94. South Africa's Dewald Brevis, another injury replacement, has also been a much-needed addition to CSK's batting unit.
For Royals, the ease with which Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old boy from Bihar, has warmed up to the big league warrants a wide grin. The left-hand batter, who has already smashed a 35-ball hundred, has one last opportunity this season to flex his wondrous ability.
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