The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) hasn’t gone well for either Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) or Chennai Super Kings (CSK). After suffering six losses each, the two teams currently sit at 9th and 10th positions respectively in the points table. On Friday, they will face each other in Chennai with hopes of keeping their playoff chances alive. Fans can expect an exciting clash between the two sides.
Chennai fails to capitalise on home advantage
CSK is known for using home conditions to their advantage, but this season things haven’t gone their way. The team has struggled to read the Chepauk pitch accurately. They started the season on a positive note by defeating Mumbai Indians, thanks to Noor Ahmad’s brilliant spin bowling. However, since then, they’ve lost momentum and suffered three consecutive defeats at their home ground. Their batting collapsed against Kolkata Knight Riders, managing only 103/9 – their lowest score ever at home.
CSK batters yet to make an impact
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming has openly expressed disappointment over the nature of the pitch. While Chepauk has traditionally favoured spinners, this time around, pace bowlers are getting more assistance. CSK hasn’t performed well even at away venues, winning just one out of their four matches outside Chennai. Batting has been a major concern for them. The injury to regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has further weakened the team.
Eyes on Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis
MS Dhoni has returned as the full-time captain, and despite his knee issues, his decisions during crunch moments and his death-over batting could be crucial for the team’s comeback. The inclusion of 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre is a positive sign—he impressed in his debut against Mumbai Indians. To strengthen their batting, CSK has also added South African youngster Dewald Brevis to their squad.
Abhishek and Travis duo underwhelming for SRH
SRH’s story has been quite similar. They too started the tournament well but later faltered due to overly aggressive strategies. Their explosive opening duo, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma—key to their success last season—haven’t been able to fire this year, exposing the middle order’s weaknesses. In their last match, SRH suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians.
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Coach Vettori voices concern
SRH head coach Daniel Vettori admitted that the team has failed to build meaningful partnerships. “When Head and Abhishek don’t succeed, it becomes the responsibility of the other batters. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do that this season,” he said. “We need better partnerships moving forward.”
Probable Playing XI for both teams:
Chennai Super Kings: Sheikh Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni (captain & wicketkeeper), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Ravichandran Ashwin.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (captain), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Ehsan Malinga, Abhinav Manohar.