CSK and SRH are both anchored to the bottom of the table, but mathematically, are still pretty afloat. All they need to do is win every single one of their remaining games. But that’s like saying, “All you need to do to climb Everest is just keep walking upward.” Technically correct. But practically, not so.
There’s a reason both sides find themselves in trouble. And their root rot is at the same part: the batting order. SRH’s reason for chaos is their obsession with aggression, which has not quite arrived yet. They can’t stop swinging even with the house already on fire. CSK’s batters, on the other hand, have averaged the second-worst this season, while striking at the lowest rate.
Still, Chennai might find some relief in history. SRH have never beaten CSK in Chennai. But so hadn’t Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals, both of whom did it this season with quite an authority. CSK already have three consecutive losses at Chepauk, and SRH would want them to keep this streak alive.
Team Overview:
SRH’s openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, showed a glimpse of brilliance in their last two games before they went back to old ways in Hyderabad. If they failed to acquire dominance of Hyderabad’s belter of a pitch, they can’t sanely be expected to do well on Chennai’s raging turners. Barring his red-inked century in the first game, Ishan Kishan has only once crossed double figures this season, which explains why SRH have been dealing in defeats lately. Heinrich Klaasen is their best batter amidst all this chaos, and he boasts a good record batting against spin as well (averages 112 striking at 149). SRH can get him to bat along with one of the Travishek to stabilise their firepower (or lack thereof).
CSK, meanwhile, decided to give Shaik Rasheed a chance in their game against LSG, so far that has not worked well for them, though it’s still early days. The batting lineup has done an agonizingly slow job. Shivam Dube, despite not delivering the way he was expected to, has done better than the rest. His recent four innings include a half-century, unbeaten 43 and 31, and a 42-run knock in Mullanpur. Noor Ahmed is the only bright spot in CSK’s squad right now.
Head-to-Head Matches:
SRH have only won six games against CSK so far after playing 22 games with them.
Weather and Pitch Report:
It’s Chepauk, and of course, the spinners will have a memorable day here. The weather will be hot enough for a classic Chennai pitch to be on the show. Both teams scored a total of 200 runs in the last game in Chepauk. So, if you are hoping for a run-fest, you will be disappointed.
Prediction:
Both teams are struggling with their batters and Chennai’s tricky pitch will not help them much. It should come down to how the bowlers fare, and CSK might be the better side in that department.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
