IPL 2025: With nothing left to lose, CSK and RR fight to avoid bottom spot ¡ª fans call it the ¡®jail classico¡¯

Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will meet in Match 62 of IPL 2025 at Delhi¡¯s Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 20 at 7:30 PM. With both teams already out of playoff contention, the game will decide who finishes higher on the table¡ªand who ends at the very bottom. For two of the league¡¯s most followed franchises, this is about pride and saving face in the final stretch.

Points table pressure

CSK, led by MS Dhoni, sit in 10th place with three wins from 12 games. Rajasthan Royals are just one spot ahead, in 9th, with four wins from 13 matches. A win for Chennai would level them with Rajasthan on points, while a win for the Royals would confirm their position above CSK. Their last encounter this season ended in a close six-run win for Rajasthan, adding more fuel to what may otherwise be a quiet fixture.

Team combinations and changes

Chennai will continue without key overseas players¡ªSam Curran, Rachin Ravindra, Jamie Overton, and Nathan Ellis¡ªwho are unavailable for the remainder of the tournament. This has given opportunities to young players like Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis to gain experience in the middle order. Rajasthan, meanwhile, have brought in Lluandre Pretorius to replace the injured Nitish Rana, while pacer Jofra Archer is also out for the rest of the season.

Key players and match focus

Chennai¡¯s bowling will look to Matheesha Pathirana and Ravichandran Ashwin to restrict Rajasthan¡¯s top order. For the Royals, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the standout performer, scoring 523 runs at a strike rate of 158.00¡ªmaking him the third-highest run-getter this season. Rajasthan¡¯s bowling will rely on Tushar Deshpande, who has taken eight wickets so far but has been expensive with an economy rate of 10.96.

Fans set the tone online

Despite the low stakes, fans on social media are giving this match its own identity. One user called the fixture the ¡°Jail Classico of the tournament,¡± comparing it humorously to a bottom-table battle.

CSK vs RR is a JAIL CLASSICO of the tournament ?

¡ª catspaglu (@pleasemyobbro) May 20, 2025

Another user posted, ¡°Can Dhoni hit more sixes in today CSK vs RR?¡± hinting that fans are still watching closely for vintage Dhoni moments.

Can dhoni hit more sixes in today csk vs rr?

¡ª Suraj kumar Pandit (@Surajkumar75249) May 20, 2025

A third user wrote, ¡°When you know the result before only it's useless to play¡­ at least RR vs CSK is interesting because both don¡¯t want to finish last.¡±

When you know the result before only its useless to play and its not exciting - at least RR vs CSK match is interesting because both dont want to finish last so it will be good.

¡ª Rajith (@Rajith1775320) May 20, 2025

History between the two

This will be the 31st IPL meeting between CSK and RR. Out of the previous 30, Chennai have won 16 and Rajasthan 14. With a close record and nothing left to lose, both sides will aim to leave the tournament with one last win to their name.

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