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CSK look to maintain pole position

By The Assam Tribune

MOHALI, May 4: Already assured of a playoff berth, table toppers Chennai Super Kings will aim to maintain their pole position with a victory over a struggling Kings XI Punjab in their last IPL group league encounter here on Sunday.

After a defeat against Mumbai Indians in an earlier match, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK bounced back with a massive 80-run win over Delhi Capitals in their last game, to once again capture the No.1 spot.

Heavy loss against Mumbai Indians saw their net run-rate falling and now with just a game left in the league stage, the defending champions need a win to maintain their dominance and cement their position at the top.

With 18 points from 13 games, a win will give them 20 points, which is unlikely to be achieved by any other team.

In their previous match against Delhi Capitals, skipper Dhoni and Suresh Raina guided the team to a challenging 179/4 and then restricted the opponent to just 99.

Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven scalps between them as they wrecked havoc. Dhoni, Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis will look to score big runs in Mohali, while Tahir and Harbhajan will aim to flummox the Kings XI batsmen with their spin magic.

In contrast, Kings XI Punjab, who are already out of the play-offs race, would be playing only for pride. With 10 points from 13 games, they are at seventh spot, a rung above bottom-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Inconsistent KXIP�s hopes of making it to the playoffs were dashed in a seven-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in their last match here. � PTI

Match starts at 4 pm

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