David vs Goliath: Chennai likely to stroll past struggling SRH
Chennai Super Kings will take on low-spirited Sunrisers Hyderabad in their 11th game of the Indian Premier League 2021. The Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium will host the game that begins at 7:30 pm (India Time).
Probable playing XI
CSK
Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood.
SRH
Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma.
Probable best performers of the day
Faf du Plessis
Du Plessis has been a dependable opener alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, having scored 394 runs already so far. The former South African skipper is averaging 49.25, being the fourth-highest run-getter this season.
He has been providing bursts of runs in early overs to set a solid foundation for the CSK middle-order to capitalise on. He is unlucky to be excluded from South Africa’s squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup that will be played in the UAE next month.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja’s power show against KKR showed just he’s at the peak of his career. The Chennai veteran has been brilliant with the ball as well on two-paced tracks in the UAE.
His all-round performances will be detrimental to CSK’s success in the playoffs.
Jason Roy
Replacing former skipper and opener, David Warner, Roy’s addition has been positive for the Sunrisers. Warner was struggling consistently, failing to score quick runs in the powerplay and give the side a good start.
As for Roy, he struck a fiery half-century in the last clash against Rajasthan Royals to show that he should have been added to the team earlier. The Englishman’s 60-run knock meant that Kane Williamson and co finally have an opener they can depend on.
If he can stay till the 10th over, Roy can damage CSK’s bowling cartel greatly.
Match prediction
Chennai need just one win to become the first team to reach the IPL 2021 playoffs. They sit at the top of the table with 16 points, despite playing one game less than Delhi Capitals (16 points). Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men also have the best net run rate among all teams (+1.069).
Their openers are in fine knick, bowlers are crushing it at the death overs and tactical changes are working out for the best. They have turned their way around from the last season where they were the first team to be seen off.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been at the bottom of the table ever since the campaign kickstarted in India. In the last game, Jason Roy led the team to only their second victory in 10 games.
Considering their forms, CSK should beat SRH without breaking a sweat.
