In a clash of former IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings begin as favourites against Rajasthan Royals when the two sides meet in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Playing their game of the season, Rajasthan are without the services of their two first-choice overseas players — Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.
Buttler is serving his extended quarantine and Stokes is with his family in New Zealand However, one good news is that Steve Smith has recovered from a concussion scare and will lead their side.
While Rajasthan are the side willing to experiment and give youngsters opportunities, Chennai have relied on the experienced pros to step up to the challenge. Playing in new conditions of UAE, adaptability will be key for all the franchises and this is where MS Dhoni's men could have an upper hand in Tuesday's contest.
That Chennai outplayed the defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opener without their stars such as Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo will be a big boost to their confidence.
Filling the void at No 3, Faf du Plessis banked on his experience to take the team home with a half-century despite showing some early jitters.
With regards to batting, Chennai boast of depth compared to Smith & Co. All-rounder Sam Curran, who played in place of injured Bravo, proved to be handy with the bat and ball in the first match.
For Rajasthan, individually, players have performed, but they need to fire as a unit to win matches. This was one of the reasons behind them finishing with only five wins out of 14 matches last season.
Sans Buttler and Stokes, their major concern on Tuesday will be to get the balance right. In batting, the onus will be on the likes of Smith, new recruits David Miller and Robin Uthappa in the top-heavy side. By releasing Ajinkya Rahane or all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham, their middle-over is short on experienced Indian domestic players.
Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson will be hoping to perform consistently. The likes of young Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag seems promising.
With regards to bowling, Chennai will be unlikely to change their combination that worked against Mumbai, with Bravo still to recover from a niggle.
For Rajasthan, Jofra Archer will spearhead the attack with Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron in the pace department. Pacer Tom Curran or Oshane Thomas could take over Stokes' place in the bowling.
Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal proved to be a vital cog last season and is expected to do the damage this season too. Whether this attack will click against the mighty Chennai will be the question.
"Fantastic news that Steve is available," said Rajasthan head coach Andrew McDonald on the eve of the match.
"It’s fantastic especially on the back of some setbacks back in the UK. It’s obviously great to have your skipper available for the first game as I’ve said before we are in really good hands. In terms of the rest of the squad, we couldn’t be happier with their preparation."