IPL 2018: 3 key battles that will decide who wins the SRH vs CSK clash

After being hit by a Gayle Storm at Mohali, SRH return to their home ground and host CSK at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. SRH had an ideal start to the IPL (winning 3 in 3) but a strong performance by Punjab's batters handed them their first loss.

Their bowlers had a rare off day, with the highlight being Rashid Khan going wicketless and conceding a mammoth 48 runs.

CSK, however, has transitioned well to their new home ground and started with a resounding win. Shane Watson's century. along with Shardul Thakur's bowling performance. helped CSK thump Rajasthan Royals with aplomb.

The famed bowling line-up will be up against CSK's batting which has not only chased huge scores but in the previous game showed that they can set up the game too.

The matches between these two sides have been lopsided, with the CSK having an edge, as they have won four, while SRH has won two.

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#1 Billy Stanlake vs Shane Watson

Billy Stanlake

After missing the last match, Billy Stanlake will most likely be back in the squad against CSK. The lanky fast bowler has been in excellent shape and has hit speeds of 140km/hr consistently in the IPL.

In this year's IPL, he has picked up five wickets. The 25-year-old fast bowler is known for his accurate bowling and doesn't give any width to the batsmen to free his arms.

He will be up against his fellow Australian mate Shane Watson. Watto played a gem of a knock against Royals (106 off just 57 balls) which included 6 sixes. What makes the Australian dangerous is the ability to pick a bowler's length early and cleanly hit the ball with power.

The 35-year-old batsman struggles against quality pace bowling. In the 2015 World Cup match against Pakistan, Wahab Riaz peppered the burly all-rounder with short balls and unsettled the batsman. With his height, he would be able to extract extra bounce from the pitch and will try to bounce Watto out. This opening battle will set the tone for the rest of the game.

#2 Rashid Khan vs Suresh Raina

Rashid Khan

After having a fantastic start to the IPL, Chris Gayle hammered Rashid Khan to all the parts of the ground. He conceded just 41 runs in his first three matches while his figures against Punjab read 4-0-48-1. It was his most expensive spell in the IPL and Gayle took him to the cleaners.

He will be up against another world-class left-hander in Suresh Raina. The stylish left-hander has a phenomenal record in the IPL and has scored 4604 runs at an average of 33.85. After being out for two matches due to an injury, he was back against Royals and scored a quick 46 (29 balls) and ably supported Shane Watson.

The 31-year-old batsman has a poor record against right-arm leg spinners. Since IPL 2015, Raina has lost his wicket to right-arm legspinners 8 times in 24 innings. Rashid Khan will be a key player for SRH as his performances have often mirrored Orange Army's chances in the IPL.

This middle over battle will be keenly fought and, the one who comes out on top might as well decide the winner of the match.

#3 Bhuvaneshwar Kumar vs MS Dhoni

The specialist death bowler

Bhuvneshwar Kumar forms the crux of the Sunrisers pace attack. His swing bowling in the powerplay coupled with his slower balls and deadly yorkers at the end make him a potent bowler. He has begun the season on a decent note and has picked up 5 wickets in 3 matches. He has given away just 81 runs at an economy rate of 6.75.

MS Dhoni is considered as one of the best finishers in world-cricket. There has been a lot of talk regarding his form and his ability to finish matches.

He silenced his critics with a blistering knock against Punjab where he scored 79 runs(44 balls) and hit 5 huge sixes. MS Dhoni is known for his calculative hitting and his innings at the end will be crucial for CSK.

While Bhuvi is known for his perfect yorkers, MSD is known to hit helicopter shots of those deliveries. In the battle of finishers, it will be interesting to see what tactics Bhuvi adopts against MSD.

Notably, during their previous clashes, MSD has got better off Bhuvi and has hit 81 runs in 41 balls that he has faced. He has never lost his wicket against the 28-year old. Brace yourselves for this battle as today we might finally see Bhuvi getting the better of MSD.