MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's next three matches will go a long way to defining their season as they chase an unprecedented Quadruple.

City face Tottenham on Wednesday night in the Champions League trailing 1-0 from the first leg followed by a Premier League double-header against Spurs again and Manchester United.

Anything but a victory on Wednesday would see them eliminated from Europe at the quarterfinal stage for the second year running -- and Guardiola said he believes only maximum points in the Premier League will be enough to secure the title.

"If we don't win these games we will be out of two competitions," he told a news conference. "They are absolute finals for us, I've had that feeling from weeks ago.

"Every time in a competition [they are] when you arrive in the latter stages. We don't have a 12-point [gap] like last season -- in this period, we were already champions.

"But this season we have an incredible opponent like Liverpool in the Premier League. What they have done so far they deserve. Normally with 84 or 86 points you are champion -- they have 85. Both teams deserve to be champions but just one team is going to get it."

Spurs' first leg victory was helped by a noisy and intense atmosphere from the fans at their new 62,000-capacity stadium, and Guardiola said he needs the fans to generate a similar atmosphere if they are to make the semifinals.

"Many times I played in the semifinals and quarterfinals, and every time I played away the atmosphere was really incredible," he added. "They support their local teams.

"We need it -- really, we need it. I want to see that they want to get to the semifinals. Not the players, the players I have no doubt about after 20 months. I want to see my fans, our fans, that they really want the semifinals. I want to see that tomorrow."

City remain in the hunt for the Quadruple and while Guardiola has played down the possibility, defender John Stones said the players will do everything to win all four trophies.

"I don't think a lot of things are impossible, that is the mindset of different people and if you don't dream big then you are not going to get anywhere near it," he said. "It comes from within everyone -- we have this belief and ambition to do it.

"Like last season, 100 points never done before. We won the league quite early and still had the belief to go on and do it."

Oleksandr Zinchenko is the only player ruled out although Fernandinho only returned to training on Monday and is not yet at full intensity after being ruled out of Sunday's win at Crystal Palace.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are definitely without Harry Kane but Guardiola said they will remain dangerous opponents.

"[They will be] the same strong team they had three years ago, last season and this. [They are an] incredible top team."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Arsenal will be given the full support of UEFA in order to secure a visa for the Armenia international to play in the Europa League final in Azerbaijan next month if the club reach the May 28 showpiece in Baku, sources have told ESPN FC.

Arsenal face Napoli in Italy on Thursday on the brink of a semifinal encounter with either Villarreal or Valencia having secured a 2-0 quarterfinal first-leg victory over Carlo Ancelotti's team at the Emirates last Thursday.

But if Arsenal reach the final, they must overcome the issue of Mkhitaryan playing in Azerbaijan -- a country which currently prohibits the entry of citizens from Armenia due to an ongoing territorial conflict over the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Mkhitaryan was omitted from Arsenal's squad for the Europa League group game against Qarabag last October for unspecified reasons, prompting Qarabag coach Gurban Gurbanov to claim that the London club were "afraid" of travelling to Azerbaijan with the Armenia captain in the team.

The former Manchester United midfielder also sat out a trip to Azerbaijan in 2015, when Borussia Dortmund chose to leave him in Germany for a clash against Gabala due to "security reasons," despite assurances from Azerbaijan's authorities that a visa would be granted to Mkhitaryan.

Armenia, however, sent athletes to compete in the 2015 European Games in Baku due to a visa exemption for sporting participants, and sources have told ESPN FC that UEFA are confident that Mkhitaryan and Arsenal would be successful in any bid to secure an Azerbaijan visa.

European football's governing body has insisted that all efforts will be made to ensure that the process runs smoothly.

A UEFA spokesperson told ESPN FC: "It is a standard procedure for UEFA to send letters of support to associations, clubs or embassies in order to obtain visas for players and allow them to play in UEFA competition matches."

Last week's first legs in the four Champions League quarterfinals offered up a contrast of games that all entertained in their own way and, crucially, kept the ties alive into their respective second legs.

Can Manchester United come back to upset Barcelona? Will Cristiano Ronaldo deliver yet more heroics for Juventus? Can Liverpool hang on at Porto? Will Manchester City thrash Tottenham? We get you ready for the second legs.

Jump to: Juve-Ajax | Porto-Liverpool | Man City vs. Tottenham

Barcelona vs. Manchester United

AGGREGATE SCORE: Barcelona lead 1-0
WHEN: Tuesday 4/16, 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got creative with his tactics in an effort to thwart and surprise Barcelona, but they weren't flummoxed in the least by his back three. Even a subpar Barca -- who admittedly got a bit fortunate with the Luke Shaw own goal -- managed to stop United from enjoying a single shot on target.

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Barcelona will be rested, as Ernesto Valverde left out nine regulars against Huesca, while the minutes are adding up for Manchester United, as Solskjaer himself admitted after the poor performance against West Ham. Barcelona will have the luxury of being able to pick their spots (and keep the ball) and be patient.

WHAT UNITED HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY FOR THE SEMIFINAL: Score, obviously, and you can gamble a little because away goals count double, meaning a 2-1 win would see United through. They did a good job of disrupting Barcelona's midfield at Old Trafford, but failed to turn that into clear-cut chances. With Nemanja Matic likely to return, they may be better served sitting and trying to hit on the counter or via set pieces.

WHAT BARCELONA HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY FOR THE SEMIFINAL: Essentially, manage the game. If they can limit Paul Pogba's creative impetus and exploit what is likely to be an unfamiliar defensive system for United, given Luke Shaw's absence, they will be halfway there. If, as expected, United sit off them a bit, they will need to do a much better job at keeping possession than they did at Old Trafford.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Luis Suarez vs. Chris Smalling/Victor Lindelof. Valverde's Barca is more pragmatic than past versions. They know when they need to be patient and they're happy to rely on experience and guile. Suarez has plenty of both. You may not see him for long stretches and suddenly he's in your face.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: Many United fans would love to see Alexis Sanchez and his wages ride out of town. What better way than to come off the bench and score the key goal against his old club after six weeks on the sidelines?

FINAL PREDICTION: Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United (Barcelona advance 3-0 on aggregate). There is just too much of an imbalance here in terms of form, quality and experience.

Juventus vs. Ajax

AGGREGATE SCORE: 1-1
WHEN: Tuesday 4/16, 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: The Ajax performance we saw against Real Madrid was anything but a fluke. Juventus showed them plenty of respect and Ajax still found a way through, grabbing an equalizer early in the second half and controlling the match for a good stretch after the break, until Max Allegri settled things down again.

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Juventus' away goal means they advance with a 0-0 draw on the night and that gives Allegri the option of inviting Ajax forward and looking to hit on the break. It also gives Juventus the luxury of congesting the middle and trying to control the tempo, a task made easier by the likely absence of standout Ajax midfielder Frenkie De Jong, who limped off with a muscular injury at the weekend.

WHAT AJAX HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: Exploit the wide areas and deliver crosses into the box, particularly if Joao Cancelo (wonderful going forward, less so defensively) is playing on the right. If you allow Juve to congest the middle and try to play through them, especially without De Jong, it can turn into a long night.

WHAT JUVENTUS HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: Allegri can approach this many different ways, but a key is not to leave Ronaldo isolated. By now we've learned he's at his best when you commit runners around him, whether it's Federico Bernardeschi or Douglas Costa, along with Mario Mandzukic. Go for the jugular and test Matthijs de Ligt and Daley Blind.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Noussair Mazraoui vs. Juve's wing. He can be, and has been, devastating down the right flank. Whether it's Ronaldo, Blaise Matuidi or, behind them, Alex Sandro, it's critical that he be contained.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: Moise Kean isn't expected to start, although perhaps he should. The teenager has notched six goals in his past six appearances for club and country, plus he has the legs and intelligence to shock Ajax's back line if the visitors get a little top-heavy.

FINAL PREDICTION: Juventus 2-0 Ajax (3-1 aggregate). De Jong's absence is simply a game-changer, and Allegri has a range of permutations and approaches that Ajax will struggle to match.

Porto vs. Liverpool

AGGREGATE SCORE: Liverpool lead 2-0
WHEN: Wednesday 4/17, 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: Porto never quite go away. While Liverpool scored two first-half goals and saw out the tie, the visitors fought back gamely and came close to scoring an away goal, despite key absentee Hector Herrera. Liverpool also aren't the type of side who are at their best when they manage leads.

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Porto attack with speed and precision, so it will be tempting for Liverpool to unleash their vaunted front three on the counter. But Jurgen Klopp has talked repeatedly about the threat they pose, so we should see more of a toe-to-toe contest.

WHAT LIVERPOOL HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: If they find the net at any point, Porto would need to score four times to advance, and you simply can't see that happening. That's something Liverpool can't lose sight of. Be aggressive in midfield, push the full-backs up and remember who you are.

WHAT PORTO HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: Yacine Brahimi was a problem for Liverpool in the second half, and with Herrera back to stiffen up the middle of the park, Porto can dictate play. Moussa Marega will need to have his finishing boots on: Alisson twice denied him one-on-one at Anfield.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Virgil van Dijk vs. Pepe. We'll likely only see this one on set-pieces but it will be a proper, old-school clash between two defensive heavyweights. Few players are as disruptive as Pepe; few are as commanding as van Dijk.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: Iker Casillas was winning Champions Leagues when Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were still in elementary school. Porto can't afford to concede and it would be Disneyesque if "San Iker" preserves a victory.

FINAL PREDICTION: Porto 2-2 Liverpool (Liverpool advance 4-2 on aggregate). Porto can score when they need to, but Liverpool have tons of firepower and this has the hallmarks of an open game.

Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur

AGGREGATE SCORE: Tottenham lead 1-0
WHEN: Wednesday 4/17 , 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST LEG: Pep Guardiola's tinkering -- leaving out Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne for Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan -- probably did him no favors, and when City go the unfamiliar route of focusing on defending, they're not very good at it. (Witness the time and space allowed Christian Eriksen for Spurs' goal.) Heung-Min Son is a big-game player whose hunger is relentless and who poses matchup problems.

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE RETURN LEG: Tottenham will be without Kane, and although their record in his absence is freakishly good, it's obviously a huge loss. Expect them to defend their aggregate lead and try to exploit the counter, while City try to conjure up one of those possession-heavy, old-school Guardiola performances.

WHAT TOTTENHAM HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: Nicking a goal would force City to score three, which is a tall order even for them. Lucas Moura and Son have the quickness and athleticism to provide a first line of high pressing and a threat behind against City's back four.

WHAT CITY HAVE TO DO TO REACH THE SEMIFINAL: Stick to what they're good at: keeping possession, committing men forward and going vertical with intelligence and creativity, which they can do since Bernardo Silva is fit again, and De Bruyne, hopefully, won't be on the bench.

BATTLE TO WATCH: Sergio Aguero vs. Tottenham's defense. When the supply of chances is good, he's likely to score. When it's not, he can struggle to create his own. If Tottenham can stifle him, it may lead City to force things, either through individuals or shots from distance.

WILD CARD/STORYBOOK SCENARIO: He turned 34 last month and has scored all of two league goals in more than a season and a half at Tottenham, but Fernando Llorente is intelligent, an aerial threat and a hugely underrated passer. Imagine him coming off the bench to score the goal that sends Tottenham through.

FINAL PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-1 Tottenham (Man City advance 3-2 on aggregate). City are the better team, so you have to pick them to advance. But I'm not confident here. At all.

It's both startling and somewhat unfair, the degree to which Barcelona are treading along a knife edge at the Camp Nou. If they eliminate Manchester United from the Champions League, whether by hook, crook, a goalless draw or a champagne fest of scintillating, inspired football, they will be about three good performances away from their third trophy Treble.

That their opponents Tuesday happen to be Manchester United -- led now by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, their mythical added-time goal scorer from 1999 -- on a date that's extremely close to the 20th anniversary of United becoming the only English team to join that small, fabled list of Treble winners is just one of football's quixotic little twists of humour.

The fact that Tuesday begins with the scoreline 1-0 to Barcelona, with Solskjaer on the Camp Nou bench, as time ticks away, as it was when 90 minutes were up against Bayern in 1999, is one more delicious twist. But United aren't Barcelona's only rivals: History and destiny are, too. Those three hypothetical "good performances" that, in my opinion, could win them the Treble would need to be a big, firm win in the semifinal first leg, a winning performance in the showpiece UEFA final on June 1 at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid and, in between, a display with enough muscle and flair to defeat Valencia in the Copa del Rey Final next month.

They're close to their first trophy already. Barcelona can count victory in La Liga as being right there, the finish line a mere formality. Routine, attentive work will get them over that line, and they'll win their 26th Spanish championship.

Valencia, in my opinion, have a starting XI, a squad and a coach capable of ruining this Blaugrana dream in the Copa del Rey. Because while the Catalans, current Copa holders and winners of four in a row, will enter the Benito Villamarin final on May 25 as favourites, Marcelino's side is full of talent, pace and the odd warrior. Potentially, they are a gremlin in Barcelona's machine.

It all means that while there are oodles of hurdles left, starting with Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba & Co. on Tuesday, the Spanish champions are in a tantalisingly beautiful position.

The Treble must consist of a club winning its premier domestic league, the principal domestic cup competition and the Champions League. No exceptions, no asterisks: This is the pinnacle of continental football.

Only seven clubs have managed it. In chronological order: Celtic, Ajax, PSV, Manchester United, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. Only Barca have done it twice, meaning that three men -- Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi -- stand to become the only footballers in history to complete a hat trick of this mythical and viciously difficult threesome.

What I mean when I say it's all on a knife edge is this: It wouldn't take much to ruin this mission. Should Solskjaer produce another against-the-odds victory to eliminate his Camp Nou opponent despite trailing by a goal, then notwithstanding the fact that three Barca players already have more Trebles than anyone other than a handful of their own former teammates, something of a cold glare will be turned on the Barca era since 2015.

It's unfair, but it's true. The fact that Barcelona have performed poorly at this stage of the Champions League in each of the past three seasons, losing the past three quarterfinals by an aggregate margin of 10-6 and failing to score in four of the six games, has left a stain on their recent Spanish dominance. It's an invisible stain if you're the guy who has had to coach them to repeat Liga and Copa victories. It's invisible to guys such as Messi, Ivan Rakitic, Pique, Busquets and Jordi Alba as well, players who know precisely how hard they've had to work to rack up eight trophy wins since they sealed their last Treble four years ago in Berlin.

How many clubs would sell their soul for eight trophies in four years? Your club? Maybe even Man United right now?

Turn that stat on its head, and most players would swap a full head of hair and all their image rights if only they could win four trophies in eight years. But for those critics who are now of the mindset that greatness lies only in winning the Champions League or retaining the "Cup With the Big Ears" (as the European Cup is often nicknamed), Barcelona's stain is more indelible than invisible. The power of conquering the continent has grown so alluring to sponsors, advertisers and club marketers -- not to mention so lucrative when you factor in the Champions League revenue, the prize money and your share of the television pot -- that those who say "winning the domestic league is more important" have dwindled down to hardcore supporters and players alike: the true traditionalists.

Clearly, the majority of Barcelona's squad still think that way. They believe that the 24-karat test of grit, resourcefulness, professionalism, resilience and, in their eyes, "greatness" lies in repeatedly dominating your own nation. Hence the choke grip in which they've held La Liga for most of the past 14 years.

But if United pop up with a surprise this week and eliminate Ernesto Valverde's guys, or if whoever lies in wait in the semifinals prevents Barcelona from reaching the Wanda Metropolitano on June 1, then I'm guessing a huge section of the Camp Nou fan base and the media who hawkishly cover every waking second of every Barca day would judge the four years since the defeat of Juve in Berlin to have been "a disappointment."

Whether fair or unfair, correct or incorrect, credible or incredible, it wouldn't matter to some. Not only is the Champions League regarded by many modern fans as the be-all-and-end-all, but also the concept of a third Treble, which is genuinely within reach, is so intoxicating that ending the season with anything less would be enormously deflating.

I don't see it quite that way.

What Barcelona have managed since the Treble win in 2015 -- given the trauma of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all departing, not to mention the stress of how to properly replace such legends, and the fact that their truly great players stubbornly keep on aging -- has been quite remarkable. It's history book stuff. But the fact remains that from the point when Messi promised that he'd do his absolute utmost to return that "beautiful, historic trophy" to the Camp Nou, when he assumed the captaincy last summer until now, Barca have put themselves within three or four really good performances of not only making history but also becoming a statistic as demolishing to all competition as Real Madrid's European Cup-winning record is in its own way.

This tie, for as much as United have players who can threaten and for as much as Barcelona aren't on their most fluent, most dangerous form right now, isn't the moment to look history and destiny in the eye and flinch. This is the occasion to show that, with domestic superiority once more attained, the lessons of the past three seasons truly have been learned.

BARCELONA, Spain -- The last time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was tasked with a salvage mission in the Nou Camp, he only had nine minutes to make something happen. When he returns as Manchester United manager on Tuesday, he will have the full 90, and probably a fair bit of injury time, too, but just as in 1999, the Norwegian is facing Mission Improbable.

If you know your United history, there is no need for a reminder of what happened back in May 1999, but for the uninitiated, Solskjaer came off the substitutes' bench in the 81st minute of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich with his team trailing 1-0.

By the time the final whistle had blown, nine minutes and three minutes of injury time later, Solskjaer's outstretched right leg had diverted David Beckham's corner into the net to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory, his goal coming moments after Teddy Sheringham had equalized -- also after a corner.

Solskjaer will be facing a different challenge when he emerges from the tunnel for the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona in the same stadium, however.

Having seen his United team lose 1-0 in the first leg at Old Trafford last Wednesday, Solskjaer has more time to pull another rabbit out of the hat on this occasion, but if he succeeds again, it will be just as remarkable as his legendary intervention in 1999.

"I was a player back then [1999]," Solskjaer said in his prematch news conference at the Nou Camp on Monday. "But anything can happen at any time. If we keep a clean sheet, we can still be in the tie at 93 minutes.

"I don't mind if it is in injury time when we score. We are a fit team, and we are getting fitter all the time."

Coming back from the dead to beat Bayern is one thing. Barcelona, on their own turf, with Lionel Messi, would be something else.

Solskjaer's team already produced a sporting miracle in the round of 16, overcoming a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to Paris Saint-Germain by winning 3-1 at Parc des Princes.

Then, United were without 10 key players, including star midfielder Paul Pogba, due to injury and suspension, and although the casualty list has eased since that night in Paris, left-back Luke Shaw will be missing due to suspension, and injuries will see Ander Herrera and Eric Bailly sidelined.

United go into the game as big outsiders. They have never beaten Barcelona at the Nou Camp in four attempts, but they have at least emerged victorious from the two previous two-legged European knockout encounters, in 1983-84 and 2007-08.

The flipside, however, is Barcelona's recent record at home in the Champions League. They are unbeaten in 30 Champions League matches at the Nou Camp -- a run stretching back to a 3-0 semi-final defeat against Bayern in 2013 -- and have won 27 and drawn 3 during that span.

And then there is the Messi factor. The Argentine was kept surprisingly quiet at Old Trafford, with a first-half collision with United defender Chris Smalling resulting in a facial injury that clearly affected the Barca No. 10, but his record against English clubs is 22 goals in 31 games, so United know exactly what he is capable of.

But regardless, Solskjaer believes that United can win and produce another major upset, even if he insists that his players cannot rely on fate alone to get them over the line.

"I've heard a lot of people saying this might be our year, because it (Treble win) was 20 years ago," he said. "I wear number 20 and we are back at the Nou Camp, but we have to earn it and deserve it. You can't rely on fate.

"I believe you get what you deserve in sports -- if you give it everything you have, you get what you deserve.

"But if you give players like Messi, [Luis] Suarez, [Arturo] Vidal, [Philippe] Coutinho time on the ball, they will create chances and you will suffer.

"We didn't stamp our authority on the game at home, and you have to do that against Barcelona. Sometimes, when it is 80-20 possession, they don't win. But we know we need to perform better."

The ghosts of the past are seemingly ever-present with United right now, though. Solskjaer is at the Nou Camp again and Sir Alex Ferguson, recovered from last year's health scare, has also travelled with the club to the scene of his greatest triumph.

United, traditionally, enjoy fighting back when their backs are against the wall. They did it repeatedly on their way to the Treble in 1999, and with big Champions League wins away to PSG and Juventus this season, perhaps they are showing similar signs again.

But 20 years on from his finest moment, Solskjaer only wants to focus on the here and now.

"Many emotions," he said, when asked about returning to the Nou Camp. "Of course it's a fantastic memory for me -- it's the last time I was on the pitch here and the only time.

"I brought [my] son to a Clasico in 2016 and saw Barcelona here 10 days ago too, but I don't really look back on that night [in 1999] too often.

"I don't know how I'll feel on Tuesday, but I'm just focused on the game and making us play better. That's my only focus now."

Big picture

The tables have turned. Chennai Super Kings come into this game as the best bowling side of the IPL with the second-lowest economy rate (7.1) in the Powerplay and the best in both the middle overs (6.5) and at the death (8.3).

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, have slacked off a bit in the back end. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for example, has an economy rate of 12.6 from overs 16 to 20 and was seen practicing various versions of the cutter with head coach Tom Moody on the eve of the game. Much of this contest will hinge on how Sunrisers can stop CSK in the back end (and so much of this preview will focus on that)

In the news

• CSK have a couple of injury worries: Harbhajan Singh did not travel to Kolkata for their last game with a stiff neck and while playing that game, MS Dhoni pulled up with back spasms.

• It is reported that Bangladesh will call Sunrisers' Shakib Al Hasan back from the IPL next week for World Cup preparations.

• Former Sunrisers captain David Warner put down their 8 for 15 collapse in the last game to a lack of experience in the batting order. So based on that, it would seem Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan have a good chance of returning to the XI.

Previous meeting

The 2018 final, which CSK won, chasing down 179 thanks to Shane Watson's century.

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda/Yusuf Pathan, 7 Abhishek Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran Tahir.

Strategy punt

• The Sunrisers middle order is pretty crumbly, especially if Vijay Shankar can be knocked off early. And the best bet to do that seems to be with a spinner. The allrounder has made only 80 runs off 86 balls against them since IPL 2018. Moreover, in that same period, his dot-ball percentage (44%) and balls-per-boundary rate (14.3) are the third-worst of all the batsmen who have faced at least 75 deliveries of spin.

• To sweeten the deal for CSK, Vijay has already been dismissed twice in 12 balls by Mitchell Santner and he's only ever made 13 runs off 20 balls against Ravindra Jadeja. (PS - he's never faced Imran Tahir in a T20)

• There's a similarly large head-to-head bulls-eye on Dhoni. He's made only 14 off 22 against Rashid Khan and over half those deliveries have ended up being dots. The Super Kings captain is a massive force in the final overs of a T20 game but can he defy data (again) if Sunrisers save a couple of Rashid's overs specifically for him?

Stats that matter

• Even otherwise, Rashid is Sunrisers' best death bowler. He may have only taken six wickets in seven matches this season - but four of them have come from overs 16 to 20. His economy rate - 6 - and dot-ball percentage - 50 - are the best out of everyone who has bowled at least five overs in this phase of an innings in IPL 2019.

• Sunrisers would certainly need performances like that because they have a terrible record against CSK: 10 matches, 8 losses.

• There is a very clear vulnerability in the defending champions' game plan, though. Their batting line-up is filled with slow starters. Listing this year's batsmen with the lowest strike-rates in the first 20 balls of their innings, Ambati Rayudu at No. 1 (77), Dhoni at No. 4 (108) and Suresh Raina at No. 5 (110). Each of those batsmen, as is the CSK mantra, backs himself to make it up in the end but if Sunrisers can reprise their death-bowling masterclasses from 2018, we could be in for a great contest.

• Since 2015, the average total in T20Is and IPL matches played in Hyderabad is 158.

A not-so-cryptic tweet from Ambati Rayudu has added to the public criticism of the decision to drop him for the World Cup.

Rayudu was left out in favour of Vijay Shankar, who, in the words of the chief selector, brings "three dimensions" to the side. A day after the said selection, Rayudu tweeted: "Just ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the World Cup." It was followed by a winking and a smiling emoji.

It is rare for an India-contracted player to openly question selections - Karun Nair was reportedly disciplined the last time he spoke about them - let alone take to Twitter to make a sharp comment that can be seen as mocking a selector's comments.

India's chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had said the final spot had eventually come down to Rayudu and Vijay. "After the Champions Trophy [in 2017], we have tried quite a few middle-order batsmen, which also includes Dinesh Karthik at that order, and we also tried Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey," he said. "We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but what Vijay Shankar offers is three dimensions: apart from his batting, he can bowl; if the conditions are suitable, overcast, which we might encounter in England, he might bowl a bit and he's a fantastic fielder."

Not long ago, in October 2018, captain Virat Kohli had all but anointed Rayudu India's No.4 for the World Cup. "With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it's about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot [No. 4] will be sorted for us," Kohli had said. "The team felt there -- and I also watched him -- that he is designed to play that middle-order batsman's role.

"We feel that our middle order is more or less balanced now. We believe he is the right person to capitalise on that spot. He is experienced, and has won many games for his state and also in the IPL. He has a great ODI record already for India. I think the batting order is sorted."

Since that comment, India have played 18 matches, out of which Rayudu has been involved in 15. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter over that period, averaging 42.18, striking at 85.6 runs per 100 balls, and ending the New Zealand tour as the highest run-getter. Among players that have played a minimum of 50 ODIs over their careers, Rayudu holds the fourth-highest average for India. Narrow it down to eight big oppositions, and he still is seventh-highest.

Rayudu is not the only one frustrated with this decision. Many cricket experts have questioned his exclusion. "I think there should be no debate about Rishabh Pant's exclusion but more about Ambati Rayudu," Gautam Gambhir told PTI. "It is very, very unfortunate that someone averaging 48 in white-ball cricket, and is only 33, has been left out. That for me is more heart-breaking than any other selection decision.

"I feel sorry for him as I was in a similar position in 2007, when they didn't pick me, and I know how difficult it is not being picked for the World Cup. Ultimately, for any young kid, it is a childhood dream to be a part of the big event. So, I feel more sorry for Rayudu than any other cricketer who hasn't been picked."

Former India spinner Murali Kartik pointed to a recency and aesthetics bias. "We always look at performances very close to the selection, and as I am very happy for Vijay Shankar, I feel for Ambati Rayudu, because for a while he has been your No. 4, he has got runs for you," Kartik told ESPNcricinfo. "Yes, he has missed out on a few occasions as have other batsmen. But when you look at his record, and - you guys might dissect it a lot more - just to the naked eye, for me, I'll look at him purely as a cricketer, in my team he has done everything right as a No. 4.

"In the sense that there will be swords against him about him playing genuine fast bowling - I don't think that's a big issue, there are lots of people who will struggle against genuine fast bowling. It's not Ambati Rayudu alone. He's a very good player of spin as well in the middle order."

"Somebody like an Ambati Rayudu, it's not a question of looking convincing, it's a matter of getting runs, and that's exactly what it is," Kartik went on to add. "And KL Rahul, he looks pleasing, he looks a million dollars - don't get me wrong there, I'm a huge, huge fan of KL Rahul - but if he was so crucial, why wasn't he playing in the last few months?

"Why wasn't he given a chance in the last few months? So, for me, six months ago this team should have been ready, saying, 'Okay, these are the guys who are going, you don't have to watch over your shoulder, just go and play the way you want to play, your spot is secure.' For somebody to endorse that 'this guy's is my No. 4' and he plays there, he gets runs, yes he's going to miss out as do others, and then suddenly he gets dropped."

On the same ESPNCricinfo show, Deep Dasgupta said he wouldn't have picked Rayudu, but he was not happy with the process followed. "It's difficult to understand it completely, the whole process, where the team management comes out and says 'he is our No. 4' and now he isn't there," Dasgupta said. "This is over a span of a month-and-a-half, two months. But I also understand why Vijay Shankar is there.

"It is unfortunate that Rayudu is not there. But in my team, Rayudu wasn't there, because as Kartik touched upon that point, that at times he doesn't look too convincing. Again, if you look at the numbers, then Rayudu is far, far ahead of the other No. 4 players that have been tried out. No questions about that as far as numbers are concerned. But the convincing part of it, I'm not completely convinced when I see him bat."

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bowl against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

Royals won their most recent match, against, Mumbai Indians, and are desperately trying to bring their season to life, having lost five of their first six games. Kings XI, meanwhile, are looking to move up into the top four, with their four wins from eight matches currently placing them fifth on the table.

Royals made three changes to the side that beat Mumbai, however, dropping overseas batsmen Steven Smith and Liam Livingstone as well as local offspinner K Gowtham, in favour of allrounder Stuart Binny, legspinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Ashton Turner, who is making his IPL debut.

Kings XI have also made three changes, leaving out Sam Curran, Sarfaraz Khan, and Andrew Tye, replacing them with David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Arshdeep Singh. Originally, though, Australia allrounder Moises Henriques was meant to play but minutes after he received his cap, he suffered a possible ankle injury and needed the assistance of two of his team-mates to even walk off the field.

Kings XI had lost their most recent match - to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Jofra Archer, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Ish Sodhi

Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 David Miller, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 R Ashwin (capt), 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 M Ashwin, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Despite mounting speculation about Imad Wasim's fitness over the last two days, the allrounder appears set to go to the World Cup with Pakistan. A chronic knee injury means he hasn't yet passed the fitness test that 22 probables underwent on Monday, but he will undergo one ahead of the World Cup, and PCB officials are convinced he will clear it.

The PCB didn't disclose the results of the fitness tests held at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, but it was clear not all 22 players passed. The case of Imad received the most intense scrutiny, especially since he had been nursing a flare-up of the knee injury that has hampered him for a while now. Since the end of the series against Australia, Imad had been at the National Cricket Academy, working on his rehabilitation. A video circulated on social media today showed him gingerly jogging up the steps of the Gaddafi stadium stands with his teammates, lending credence to the fitness concerns that had been raised over the past few days.

ESPNcricinfo understands scans reveal Imad's knee problem does not inhibit his ability with either bat or ball, and medical staff believe the problem will clear by the time the World Cup begins at the end of May. The coaching staff have been impressed by his work ethic in the past three weeks, and that - in addition to his reduced running ability - has earned him some time with regards to passing his fitness test. There was initially talk he would undergo a test before April 18 - when chief selector Inzamam ul Haq announces the World Cup squad - but the current status of his injury means the prospect of passing such a test is remote.

The coaching staff are also pleased at the advancing fitness of several core players in the Pakistan squad, with as many as half-a-dozen having surpassed their previous times. The younger players and those who had not previously been part of the Pakistan set-up are understood to have fallen short of the mark that has been set as a non-negotiable, but are believed to be making speedy progress, with particular praise directed at 18-year old Mohammad Hasnain.

Abid Ali and Hasnain did not make the grade in the test on Monday, but since they are new to the set-up, ESPNcricinfo understands they will be given more time to reach the requisite benchmark. Officials confirmed that passing the test before the World Cup was still a non-negotiable and were confident that all players selected on Thursday would pass the test in time for Pakistan's World Cup campaign.

Despite some players still needing to pass, there is a notable positivity to the atmosphere following the fitness tests, and a sense that the 22 players exceeded expectations. A source told ESPNcricinfo this was "the fittest, strongest squad ever" from Pakistan. Inzamam and head coach Mickey Arthur are believed to have finalised the 15 names to go to the World Cup, and the additional two that will form part of the 17-man squad for the ODI series against England prior.

These developments would appear to indicate Imad remains a firm part of the PCB's plans ahead of the World Cup, but the chronic nature of his knee injury means complete certainty of his fitness is hard to guarantee. A chronic knee issue has also hindered the career of another contender for the squad in Haris Sohail, who missed the tour of South Africa with that problem, before returning to score two hundreds in the series against Australia.

The squad will be announced on Thursday evening by Inzamam, with the team set to depart for England on Monday April 22.