The “Super Kings” enter this contest after two losses against the “Lucknow Super Giants” and will be desperately seeking a win. The fact that the second loss came at the fortress of Chepauk dealt them even more damage. Nevertheless, CSK is a quality team, and their return to form is only a matter of time. Ruturaj Gaikwad has set an example for his team, scoring 2 half-centuries and a century so far. He is the standout player for the team and will once again be a key player with the bat. Gaikwad is supported by Shivam Dube, whose explosive hitting has helped him amass 311 runs at a strike rate of 169.94. The biggest issue for CSK remains the form of Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, and Daryl Mitchell, each averaging less than 25 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni have played a couple of impressive cameo roles, but they only support the batting lineup and are unlikely to win matches on their own if others don’t do the bulk of the work. Mustafizur Rahman and Tushar Deshpande are likely to start the game with the new ball, while Shardul Thakur bowls with confidence to death. Bowlers need to be slightly more precise in their line and length, especially when facing the skill of SRH. CSK has offered some real beauties at home, and if the pitch for this match is similar, they could have some real issues.
After impressive victories in 4 consecutive matches, the winning streak of the Sunrisers was halted by RCB on Thursday. However, the team still remains third in the points table. Travis Head suffered a rare failure in the last match, being dismissed for just 1 run. His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, continues to perform well, scoring 31 runs off just 13 deliveries. Vulnerabilities in the middle order of SRH were exposed after the departure of the opening pair, as the batting lineup crumbled under pressure. Heinrich Klaasen started the season on a high note, but in 4 out of the last 5 innings, he barely reached double figures. Aiden Markram, Nitish Rana, and Abdul Samad have also faced difficulties on multiple occasions. The high-risk approach obviously carries some inherent risks, but the success of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order has masked some of their weaknesses. SRH boasts a strong bowling attack led by Pat Cummins and supported by T. Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. While they all play as bowlers, at times they can be quite expensive, and that’s something the team needs to work on. The addition of Abhishek Sharma as a bowling option also seems like a sensible move as it gives Pat Cummins some flexibility. The spin department remains relatively weak.
