The match between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings will mark the start of 2nd leg of this IPL. These two will also become the first sides to meet each other twice. SRH skipper David Warner has had starts almost in every game so far but hasn’t had a big score yet. On the other hand, MS Dhoni has struggled to get going in this tournament, so is his team CSK. SRH beat CSK the last time these two sides met by seven runs.
CSK campaign so far has gone nowhere with just 2 wins in 7 games they have played in the first leg of the tournament. The team in yellow has plenty to ponder in this large stakes match. They have been in a similar position in the past, but it happened in 2010 where they had won just 2 out off 7 and turned it around to win the IPL that year. One positive for CSK last game was the intent with which a debutant Jagadeesan played which the other batsmen didn’t and their bowlers who bowled tightly till the 15th over. MS Dhoni’s form is a cause of concern for CSK and also the death bowling.
SRH lost a game which they owned till the last few overs of their bowling innings and missed the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. With just three wins in 7 games, they will be disappointed with this start to their campaign. Manish Pandey scored a 50 but was really slow to start, and Kane Williamson’s finishing abilities are something to rejoice for SRH. Their bowlers had the match till a match-winning partnership between Tewatia and Parag took the game away from them.
Key players from both sides
Batsman – David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Faf Du Plessis, and Shane Watson.
The openers from both the teams have to do the bulk of scoring in this game as well. The SRH opening pair have been in great touch, and already posted couple of 100 runs partnership but their middle-order has been relatively weak. So they had to get most of the runs for SRH. On the other hand, CSK openers have scored plenty of runs, but the lack of intent last game along with Ambati Rayudu is one of the reasons for their loss. They require another rapid start from the duo in the powerplay with middle-order capitalizing on it and hopefully puts CSK’s campaign back on track.
All Rounder- Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Rashid Khan, and Vijay Shankar.
Ravindra Jadeja is having a much better outing with the ball after a disastrous first couple of games and looked good with the bat every time he has played but has been underutilized with the willow so far. Sam Curran is the only shining light with the bat in the middle order for striking ability and has been quite decent with the ball taking eight wickets but a little sloppy in the death overs. For SRH, its high time Vijay Shankar performs in all departments. He hasn’t played much this tournament, and they will hope that he can deliver with the talent he has against CSK. Rashid Khan has bowled brilliantly, but his batting abilities are not used to the fullest extent by SRH, which is somewhat disappointing.
Bowlers – Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Natarajan, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Deepak Chahar has bowled well when there is movement and will be handy against the SRH opener if there is any. Hopefully, Dhoni will use his full quota of 4 overs, unlike the last game. Shardul Thakur has been among wickets since his inclusion in the side and will be an essential wicket-taker for CSK this game as well. Natarajan has been the find of Indian bowlers this season, and his precise yorkers have been hard to handle even for the best of hitters in cricket. Khaleel Ahmed was the highest wicket-taker for SRH last season with 19 wickets and will once be looked upon by SRH to give regular breakthroughs.
Battles to look forward
- Rashid Khan vs Shane Watson
- Deepak Chahar vs Jonny Bairstow
- Shardul Thakur vs Kane Williamson
Rashid Khan had already taken Watson’s wicket once when these two sides met in the first leg and will once again this will be a battle to watch out for. Similarly, Deepak Chahar got the better of Jonny Bairstow in the same match. These contest between them will be crucial in the context of this must-win game for both the teams. Thakur has an uncanny knack of picking big wickets; if he can pick scalps of either David Warner or Williamson, it will be a massive bonus for the Super Kings.
Head to Head between CSK and SRH.
- Matches Played: 13
- CSK Won: 9
- SRH won: 4
Significant Approaching Milestones.
19- David Warner needs 19 runs to complete 5000 IPL runs.
1- MS Dhoni needs 1 more dismissal to take 150 IPL dismissals(catches & stumpings)
3 – Kane Williamson needs 3 more 6’s to reach 50 IPL maximums.
Match conditions
Venue: Dubai international cricket stadium, Dubai.
Date & Timings: October 13, 2020, at 7.30 PM IST.
Weather: Clear with the temperature around 33 C.
Pitch: Likely to be slow batting surface with possible due later on.
