On Sunday evening, defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), stung by consecutive defeats, will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a pivotal IPL match. This clash pits a CSK team eager to recover their form against an SRH squad that, despite a recent setback, remains a potent force this season.
CSK began the season under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad with promising victories, but their momentum has been halted by two successive losses to the Lucknow Super Giants. The most recent defeat was particularly disheartening for CSK fans, as LSG overcame a hefty target of 210 at the Chepauk stadium, highlighted by Marcus Stoinis’ remarkable century. Currently, CSK are part of the mid-table congestion, with 8 points from 8 matches.
SRH, currently third, have made headlines this season by setting record IPL totals. However, they enter this match on the back of a 35-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, marking their third loss of the season. This stumble suggests a vulnerability in SRH's aggressive batting strategy, as acknowledged by head coach Daniel Vettori after their failed chase against RCB.
CSK’s performance has largely revolved around the exploits of captain Gaikwad, who recently scored his second IPL century, and Shivam Dube, who has consistently performed with the bat. Despite contributions from Ravindra Jadeja, the team’s top order has struggled for consistency, prompting changes in the batting lineup.
The CSK bowlers had a tough outing in their last game, struggling with the heavy dew at Chepauk, which negated their spin attack and aided LSG’s successful chase of 213. The pace bowlers managed to take all four wickets that fell, but the spinners and fielders faced difficulties, affecting the team’s overall performance.
SRH’s recent loss to RCB was a collective failure of their top and middle order in the chase, leading to reflections on their batting approach. Despite this, there is little indication of major changes to their batting lineup for the upcoming match, though there is pressure on Aiden Markram to improve his performance after two low scores.
In the bowling department, veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has had a lean patch, capturing only one wicket in his last three games. This might prompt SRH to consider alternatives, such as Umran Malik, whose speed could add a new dimension to their attack. However, it's more likely that they will persist with the veteran pacer.
Both teams will also have to contend with the unpredictable dew factor, which could influence strategy, particularly in deciding whether to bat or bowl first. With SRH having a preference for setting totals and their recent record of defending successfully, they might opt to bat first if conditions allow.
Team News
Despite suffering losses in their previous game, it's unlikely the two teams will make too many changes. Rachin Ravindra might get another go in place of Daryl Mitchell, with Ajinkya Rahane also dropping out. 19-year-old Shaik Rasheed could also get his first game of the tournament. Rajvardhan Hangargekar too remains an option for CSK.
Sunrisers, despite their loss against RCB, will probably field the same XI.
Head-to-head record
CSK and SRH have faced each other 20 times, with the Yellow Army ruling the record with 14 wins compared to Sunrisers' 6.
Weather report
A hot and humid evening awaits with temperatures in the early 30s. There's also a 5-10% chance of rain but expect a full 40-overs contest.
Probable XIs
CSK Probable XI: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana
SRH Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Nitish Reddy, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande (Impact sub: T Natarajan)
Full squads
Chennai Super Kings: Ajinkya Rahane, Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, Shardul Thakur, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Aravelly Avanish, Maheesh Theekshana, RS Hangargekar, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Richard Gleeson
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, T Natarajan, Washington Sundar, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Akash Maharaj Singh, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal, Jaydev Unadkat, Rahul Tripathi, Upendra Yadav, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen
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(With PTI inputs)