Match overview
Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on 12 May 2024. Rajasthan won the toss and chose to bat, posting 141/5 from 20 overs. CSK knocked off the target with 145/5, their powerplay of 56 runs for 1 wicket proving the decisive phase. Simarjeet Singh was named Player of the Match for his bowling contribution that kept Royals well below par at a ground that averages 192 in the first innings across 127 matches.
Rajasthan's innings followed a reasonable enough shape. They reached the middle overs on 42/0 from the powerplay, but three wickets in overs 7 to 15 cost them momentum. The death brought 47 runs for 2 more wickets, a total that felt slightly under what the conditions allowed. Their 141 was 51 runs short of the venue mean, which made CSK's task more straightforward than chasing at Chepauk usually is.
The win gave Chennai a 17-16 lead in a head-to-head that had been perfectly level at 16 wins each across 32 IPL meetings. It also ended a run of five consecutive defeats to Rajasthan in this fixture, a streak that stretched back to a 3-run loss at this same ground in 2023.
Venue and conditions
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium is one of the most spin-friendly grounds in the IPL. Across 127 T20 matches, the average first-innings score sits at 192, with the average second-innings score at 177. Those figures suggest the ground does favour batting when conditions are benign, but the pitch tends to slow as the match progresses, making the chase incrementally harder as the innings wears on.
The chase success rate here is 46%, meaning teams batting first win more often than not. CSK's powerplay of 56 runs from 6 overs was therefore crucial: by exceeding the venue's average powerplay figure of 43 runs, they essentially front-loaded enough runs to give their middle order room to absorb the slower, trickier phase. The death-overs average at this ground is 38 runs; CSK's 29 in the death was below that, but by then they were already close enough to the line.
Toss decisions here lean slightly towards fielding first: teams winning the toss have chosen to field in 59% of matches. Rajasthan bucked that by electing to bat, and their below-par total suggests the pitch may have offered more for the bowlers in the first innings than Royals anticipated.
How to watch
IPL matches are available in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Live streaming is accessible through Sky Go for existing subscribers or via a NOW TV day or monthly pass for those without a Sky contract. Check the Sky Sports schedule for exact UK kickoff times, as IPL fixtures from India typically start either at 10:00 or 14:30 UK time depending on whether it is an afternoon or evening match in India.
Recent form
Rajasthan arrived at Chepauk in mixed shape: three wins from their last five matches, with losses to Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad bookending a run of three consecutive victories over Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders. Their batting unit clearly had the capacity to post big totals, which made the 141 on this surface a slightly surprising output.
Chennai's form was similarly uneven coming in. They had won only two of their previous five matches, beating Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad whilst losing to Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. The home ground advantage at Chepauk is well documented and likely played a part in steadying them, particularly in that opening powerplay where CSK's batters came out with clear intent. With the win secured, CSK moved ahead in the series standings and will point to their powerplay aggression as the template to build on for the rest of the tournament.
