Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Amid all the drama at the end of the league stage, SRH and CSK were simply chilling, after nailing their respective playoff spots with games to spare.
I use the term “chilling” lightly for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who haven’t exactly sailed smoothly into the playoffs. Three straight losses have created some cause for concern, especially when one of these losses included a heavy eight-wicket loss to tonight’s opponent. A lot depends on their bowling attack, and it is no surprise that they’ve lost three in a row when it has underwhelmed. Can their excellent attack get it right against the tournament’s best batting team and reach the final?
Among the nine times Chennai Super Kings have reached the playoffs, this one could be the sweetest for their fans. Back to the tournament after two years in exile, CSK had their doubters (including me, I must admit) thanks mainly to lack of depth in their pace attack and a number of their players well into their 30s. However, they have proven their worth yet again as one of the premier T20 franchises in the world, and enter the playoffs as IPL 2018 favourites, in my opinion. However, they have had a win-loss pattern in the last few games they’d like to overcome – can they beat SRH for the third time this season?
Key to a Sunrisers Hyderabad win
If SRH’s bowling attack and top three don’t fire, don’t only kiss their chances goodbye for tonight’s game, but also their hopes of lifting the IPL 2018 trophy.
In two games against CSK this season, SRH were able to keep CSK’s batting quiet for the first nine overs of their first meeting. Since then, they have conceded 321 runs in 30 overs against them, and if that trend continues, I’m not sure whether SRH have enough batting quality in them to win.
Throughout the tournament, SRH’s bowlers have been the main key to their success. In matches they have won, they have conceded an average total of 139, with an economy rate of just 7.01. The highest total they have conceded in these matches is 187, against bottom placed DD, which they chased down with ease. In matches they have lost, the average total balloons up to 189, with an economy rate of 9.61.
They have the quality in their attack on paper to deliver. The challenge is going out there and executing as best they can against a strong CSK batting line up.
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Key to a Chennai Super Kings win
There is something else really encouraging about CSK’s game play at the moment, despite their inconsistency in results in the lead up to the playoffs.
Their top four wicket takers in IPL 2018 are seam bowlers, and with Deepak Chahar and Lungi Ngidi looking dangerous, they have it in them to make inroads into the SRH batting line up. If they can dismiss Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson cheaply, it opens the game up beautifully for CSK.
Also, getting the better of SRH’s bowlers again will be key. Over the course of IPL 2018,
only DD (9.10) have a better run rate than CSK’s 8.89, and if the likes of Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson and Suresh Raina can fire, CSK will be looking good for that spot in the final.
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Predicted teams
Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Shreevats Goswami (wk), 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Manish Pandey, 5. Carlos Brathwaite, 6. Shakib Al Hasan, 7. Yusuf Pathan, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9. Siddarth Kaul, 10. Rashid Khan, 11. Sandeep Sharma
MS Dhoni surprised us all with his batting line up against KXIP, but even with Thala so unpredictable, I can’t see him doing the same here. Also, I expect Shane Watson to be in the team.
Chennai Super Kings XI: 1. Shane Watson, 2. Ambati Rayudu, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 5. Sam Billings, 6. Dwayne Bravo, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Harbhajan Singh, 9. Shardul Thakur, 10. Deepak Chahar, 11. Lungi Ngidi
Stats and Facts:
- Head-to-Head: Matches 8, SRH 2, CSK 6
- CSK have won both games against SRH this season.
- CSK have made the playoffs in each of their nine seasons. For SRH, this is their fourth playoffs appearance in six seasons.
- Both teams won at the Wankhede this season v MI.
- CSK have hit 130 sixes in IPL 2018, the most among any team. SRH have hit the least with 68.
Prediction
The IPL 2018 playoffs start with a bang with two excellent teams going head to head.
Both teams aren’t quite performing as well as they’d like right now, but I think CSK have enough experience to take them through to the final. CSK to win in a tight game.
