Chennai Super Kings, the team that beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in last year's IPL final, will be bidding for their eighth win in nine games when they take on the Kane Williamson-led side at Hyderabad. SRH has struggled off late, losing three matches in a row, and they have plenty of issues to solve as well - be it with their lower order or their bowling attack, that has big names but has failed to click.
CSK on the other hand are in ominous form, with their bowlers leading the way for them this season. They defeated SRH in all four games last year - two in the league stages, and two in the play-offs, including one in the finals - and will carry forward that psychological edge into this game as well. The track at Hyderabad is a tough one for batting, with teams chasing losing three out of four times this year. Both sides have a number of spinners, but with Rashid Khan not yet displaying his best, SRH will be on the back-foot.
Imran Tahir from CSK is second in line for the Purple Cap, and he will be the key player for this game.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Jos Buttler (9.5 credits)
Bairstow has amassed 304 runs in IPL 2019 so far, including hitting 41 in the last game against Delhi Capitals. The Englishman also has a hundred to his name, and he, along with David Warner have been the key players for SRH
Chennai Super Kings, the team that beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in last year's IPL final, will be bidding for their eighth win in nine games when they take on the Kane Williamson-led side at Hyderabad. SRH has struggled off late, losing three matches in a row, and they have plenty of issues to solve as well - be it with their lower order or their bowling attack, that has big names but has failed to click.
CSK on the other hand are in ominous form, with their bowlers leading the way for them this season. They defeated SRH in all four games last year - two in the league stages, and two in the play-offs, including one in the finals - and will carry forward that psychological edge into this game as well. The track at Hyderabad is a tough one for batting, with teams chasing losing three out of four times this year. Both sides have a number of spinners, but with Rashid Khan not yet displaying his best, SRH will be on the back-foot.
Imran Tahir from CSK is second in line for the Purple Cap, and he will be the key player for this game.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Jos Buttler (9.5 credits)
Bairstow has amassed 304 runs in IPL 2019 so far, including hitting 41 in the last game against Delhi Capitals. The Englishman also has a hundred to his name, and he, along with David Warner have been the key players for SRH this season. He has been picked over Dhoni as he bats higher up in the order, which allows him to face more deliveries and get a big score.
Batsman: Faf du Plessis (9 credits)
Faf came into the team only four games ago, but he has already become a pillar for the CSK side, scoring 128 runs. With Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu in poor form, Faf's role will be crucial in the middle order. His experience will come into handy on a tough batting track as well, especially if CSK bat second.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja (8.5 credits)
Despite being expensive in the last game, Jadeja has seven wickets so far with an economy rate of less than 6.5 runs per over. He is also a vital contributor with the bat, having helped CSK over the line against KKR with an unbeaten innings. The selection into the World Cup squad will give him the boost to carry forward his momentum on a deck that will be to his liking.
Bowler: Imran Tahir (9 credits)
Imran Tahir stormed back to the top of CSK's wicket-taking charts this season, as he scalped 4 wickets for only 27 runs against KKR on a track that did not have much for the slower bowlers. The South African now has 13 wickets and has kept things economical as well, conceding 5.76 runs an over. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has produced decks that has traditionally assisted spinners, and he could be amongst the wickets again.
Uncapped Player: Ricky Bhui (8 credits)
Bhui has played 35 T20s, scoring six fifties and one hundred in them. The youngster has not received many chances in the IPL - he has only played 2 games thus far - and he would be eager to show off his skills against the best franchise. Bhui has a strike-rate of around 133 in the shortest format, which signifies that he has the skills needed to finish off games.
Captain: David Warner
Vice-captain: Imran Tahir
Predicted Playing XI:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Ricky Bhui, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir
