IPL 2020, CSK vs DC: MS Dhoni reveals Ambati Rayudu’s comeback date

Chennai Super Kings are facing problems in the batting department due to the absence of some established cricketers. CSK star batter Suresh Raina opted to miss the 13th season of the Indian Premier League due to personal reasons. CSK won the first game due to the heroics of Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis. But Rayudu has missed the last two matches with an injury and his absence has clearly been felt by the team.

He has been instrumental in CSK's success in the past two years and the team would be hoping for him to come back as soon as possible. But there is some good news for the CSK fans. MS Dhoni confirmed after the Delhi Capitals match that Rayudu is set to come back in the next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"I don't think it was a good game for us. There was no dew, but the wicket did slow down. We are lacking a bit of steam in the batting and that hurts. The run rate keeps on mounting after such slow starts and adds pressure, we need to figure that out.

READ| 'That is what the quality of the man is': Gautam Gambhir names 'no.1 player in IPL'

"We need to come back with a clearer picture, looking at the combination. Maybe, the team balance will get better once Rayudu comes back in the next game," Dhoni said after losing by 44 runs to Delhi Capitals on Friday.

"That will give us the room to experiment with an extra bowler perhaps. There are quite a few things we can think about. We are one batter extra to start off, so the players need to step up."

Rayudu played a brilliant 48-ball 71-run knock in CSK's five-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener.

The veteran skipper also asked his bowlers to pull up their socks after two ordinary outings.

"We need to get better with our lengths, lines and pace. I think the spinners have not come to the party yet. We are bowling good deliveries, but we are giving away the boundary deliveries bit too often," he said.

Barring some fielding lapses, Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer is happy with the performance of his side so far. "I am really happy with the performance. I would give them the benefit of doubt, is tough to catch in these conditions. You misjudge the ball, really don't know how to pace yourself," he said.

"In the team meeting we decided that we are going to assess the batting conditions early and then play accordingly. The way the openers started gave us a lot of confidence and the finish was good too. I am lucky to have KG (Rabada) and Nortje in the team. It's important to stick together as a team and we need to enjoy each other's success."