CSK vs SRH: Battle of survival
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will eye a crucial turnaround at home when they face an equally desperate Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a battle of survival in the Indian Premier League here on Friday. Both sides have endured a turbulent season, notching just four points from eight games, and must now win all remaining fixtures to keep their slim qualification hopes alive.
Known to make the most of home conditions, five-time champions CSK find themselves in unchartered territory as they have not been able to read the wickets well at the Chepauk.
They started strong at their fortress, dominating Mumbai Indians as Noor Ahmad spun a web around the visitors. But the early promise fizzled out quickly, with three successive losses at home.
The also endured the ignominy of posting their lowest-ever IPL total at home — 103/9 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Head coach Stephen Fleming has also voiced frustration over the Chepauk surface, which has offered more to seamers than CSK’s usual spin-heavy attack.
There away form has not been any better either, with just one win in four attempts.
CSK have lacked firepower in the batting department and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence due to an injury has only made it worse for the storied outfit.
MS Dhoni has returned as full-time captain. While his knee continues to limit mobility, the former Indian captain’s leadership remains invaluable.
His death-overs batting, field placements, and ability to recalibrate the bowling attack could be key in CSK’s revival.
In encouraging signs, 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre made a promising debut against MI with the bat. The franchise has also roped in South Africa’s Dewald Brevis in a bid to strengthen their power-hitting department.
SRH, meanwhile, have endured an equally erratic campaign. A bright start gave way to inconsistency, with their ultra-aggressive, attack-at-all-costs strategy falling flat.
The explosive opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, so vital last season, have failed to hit the same heights this year.
While Sharma’s brilliance secured a win against Punjab Kings, Head is yet to truly make his mark.
The heavy dependence on their top two has exposed the frailty of the middle order, which has struggled to absorb pressure, something head coach Daniel Vettori also conceded after the seven-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians.
“When Head and Abhishek don’t succeed, then it’s the responsibility of the other batsmen. Potentially that’s what we haven’t had this season around. The ability for partnerships, for one or two guys to step up,” Vettori said.
Teams
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby, Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Dewald Brevis, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddharth, Ayush Mhatre, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, VIjay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.
