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Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad will clash against each other at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday.
CSK have been tremendous this season and currently sit at the top of the IPL table. The Men in Yellow have won four out of their five matches so far, with their only loss coming against Delhi Capitals in their first game of the season. CSK have produced all-round performances in their opening matches and are serious title contenders.
The Sunrisers have had a dismal start to their season this year. Led by David Warner, SRH has lost four consecutive matches and are currently reeling at the bottom of the table. Their only victory so far has come against Punjab Kings, whom they defeated by nine wickets.
Chennai Super Kings come on the back of a 69-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Ravindra Jadeja produced an all-round performance, where he scored an unbeaten knock of 62 runs from just 27 balls. He picked up three wickets with the ball, which includes key dismissals of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villers. He was also outstanding on the field, inflicting a run-out to dismiss Dan Christian.
Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered a heartbreaking loss to Delhi Capitals after they were defeated in the super over. SRH were on course to chase down a target of 160 runs but lost several wickets in succession, which derailed their chase. Except for their win against PBKS, SRH’s batting has been dismal this season. They suffered defeats against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, despite being in a dominant position. Warner will be hoping that his team finds the winning formula, as they languish at the bottom of the points table.
Key Players
David Warner has not had the best start to his IPL season. The Australian opener has managed to score just 136 runs in his five innings so far and will be desperate to find form against Chennai Super Kings. He was dismissed for a score of just six runs against Delhi Capitals and could not make much of an impact in the super over. His best knock of the season came against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored 54 runs from 37 balls before Kyle Jamieson dismissed him.
Rashid Khan has been SRH’s standout bowler this season. The Afghan spinner has kept the pressure on the opposition batsman and has six matches in his five games so far. Against Delhi Capitals, he picked up the key wicket of Shikhar Dhawan and conceded 31 runs in his four-over spell. He bowled a tidy super over and almost took SRH past the finishing line.
Faf du Plessis is the third-highest run-getter of the tournament so far. The South African batsman has scored 212 runs in his five innings so far, at an average of 71.33. He scored an unbeaten knock of 94 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders. He scored his second consecutive half-century of the season, as he scored 50 runs off 41 balls before being dismissed by Harshal Patel. Faf du Plessis has been a consistent performer for CSK at the top of the innings. He was also the leading scorer for his side in the last edition of the IPL.
Ravindra Jadeja produced one of the complete performances of IPL to date against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He smashed 37 runs off Harshal Patel’s last over, which includes five sixes and one four. The 32-year old ended with an unbeaten knock of 62 runs off just 27 balls. The all-rounder delivered with the ball as well, picking up three wickets in his four over spell. Jadeja picked key wickets of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers. He caught both the batsman off guard and put his team in the driving seat. He was terrific on the field as well, as ran Dan Christian out with a direct hit. Jadeja has deservingly adjudged the player of the match for his all-round performance against RCB.
Prediction
Chennai Super Kings enter the contest as certain favourites, having won four consecutive matches. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad are struggling to find their correct team balance. David Warner has failed to be a consistent performer for his side, whereas the middle-order has disappointed so far.
CSK’s batting line-up has been impressive so far. Ruturaj Gaikwad has regained his form and is providing good starts to his team since the last two matches. Although Moeen Ali was unfit for the last game, yet he has managed to contribute with the bat in the opening four matches. The middle-order has also been getting the runs for CSK, as Ravindra Jadeja smashed the RCB bowlers all-around the park.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the last game for SRH as he was declared unfit. However, he is expected to be back for the clash against CSK. The Indian pacer can use his experience and quality in order to get the better of the opposition batsman.
