The Chennai Super Kings will be delighted with their victory over the “Sunrisers Hyderabad” on Sunday. Their emphatic win not only earned them two points but also had a positive impact on their Net Run Rate (NRR). Ruturaj Gaikwad is in excellent form with the bat. He has scored 3 half-centuries and a century in his last 5 matches and currently ranks second in the Orange Cap standings. His contribution of 98 runs played a crucial role in helping CSK set a winning target of 213 runs. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube continues to perform well and quickly proves himself as one of the best hitters in India with six sixes. The team will be pleased to see Daryl Mitchell make some runs under his belt, easing the middle-order concerns. With players like Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni coming in lower down the order, CSK can boast an impressive batting depth. The bowling department is in good shape as well. Mustafizur Rahman is among the top performers of the season with 14 wickets, while Matisa Patirana and Tushar Deshpande have contributed 23 wickets between them. Jadeja has been quite economical during the middle overs.
After four consecutive defeats, the Punjab Kings finally managed to get back on track on Friday, defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders in a record chase. The team climbed to 8th place in the standings. Johnny Bairstow put on a masterclass, scoring 108 runs off just 48 deliveries. He was skillfully supported by Prabhsimran Singh, as the duo posted the first opening partnership of 93 runs in the Powerplay. However, the form of middle-order batsmen like Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, and Riley Meredith was not the best. Shahrukh Khan has proven to be a sensational find for PBKS. He scored his second half-century of the season and is now the top scorer for the team. They also have Ashutosh Sharma, a genuine hitter with six sixes, who can up the ante when needed. The pace department has done a great job picking up wickets. Harshal Patel is one of the top wicket-takers of the season with 14 scalps, while Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh have taken 12 wickets each. However, they have often erred in their line and length, allowing batsmen to find the boundaries. The spinners have been trying their best to make a significant impact. The issue for PBKS has been the consistency of their top performers. We’ve seen a couple of good performances, but so far, nothing that suggests we can expect stability from this unit.
