IPL 2018, CSK V DD: 5 player battles to look forward to

The Delhi Daredevils finally got their campaign back on track with a thrashing of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous game and the change of personnel, including that of the captain, seems to have worked wonders. That being said, they are in a position in which they need to string together a few victories and tonight they would need to deliver another top performance if they are to win against second-placed Chennai Super Kings at Pune.

The CSK were themselves thrashed by Mumbai Indians in their last game and with Deepak Chahar out injured, they are bound to be changes to the playing eleven. Therein lies DD’s big opportunity to make it 2 in 2 but CSK are a hugely experienced side and have been in great form before that loss against MI. Tonight’s game will also throw up some hugely anticipated battles between players from either side and here is a look at the 5 that will have a big impact on the game.

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#5 Shardul Thakur v Colin Munro

Following his failures in the first two games of the campaign, DD’s Kiwi opener Colin Munro was dropped but he was brought back into the side in the previous game and the left-hander looked in good hitting touch, despite not scoring big. He made 33 off 18 and hit 4 fours, in addition to 2 sixes. He would like to carry on from there and get DD off to a scorching start tonight against the CSK.

With Deepak Chahar out of contention with injury, CSK’s most important bowler in the Powerplay is gone and it will be Shardul Thakur who would need to shoulder that responsibility.

Hence, there lies the danger of DD completely destroying CSK in the Powerplays but if Thakur can come up with a good performance, then it could be a different story. He has gone for 9.86 per over in 6 games so far, as opposed to Chahar’s 7.98 and tonight he would be part of a duel that could have a huge bearing on the game. It is certainly going to be interesting.

#4 MS Dhoni v Rahul Tewatia

The CSK captain has been in excellent hitting form in the tournament so far and Dhoni’s middle-order pyrotechnics have gone a long way in making the team one of the most formidable batting line-ups in the tournament. He has an overall strike rate of 159.86 so far and is averaging an incredible 58.75. Hoverer, it is interesting to note that till the completed game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he was striking at 224 against pace, while the same against spin dropped to 121.

That is why DD’s Rahul Tewatia is going to play such an important role in tonight’s game at Pune. The leg-spinner has been one of the steadiest bowlers for the franchise so far and although he has picked up only 6 wickets in 7 games so far, he has only gone for 7.50 runs an over in the season so far. Considering Dhoni’s slower scoring rate against spinners, this could well turn out to be a match-defining battle.

#3 Suresh Raina v Liam Plunkett

After a relatively slow start to the tournament, CSK’s star batsman Suresh Raina is back at his best and has scored two half-centuries (54 not out and 75 not out) in his last two games. He is currently averaging 51 and is striking at 139.72. The left-hander is one of the most important batsmen in the CSK batting line-up and if he gets going against DD tonight, then the visitors could see the game slipping out of their hands pretty quickly.

That being said, his weakness against fast, short-pitched stuff is pretty well known and in Liam Plunkett, DD have a bowler who can hit the deck hard. That would definitely make life uncomfortable for the batsman and considering the English fast bowler’s fine show in the two games so far, it promises to be an engrossing duel. In the two games that he has played so far, Plunkett has taken 3 wickets and recorded an outstanding economy rate of 5.12. He would like to continue his fine show at Pune tonight and preferably take the wicket of the CSK number 3.

#2 Harbhajan Singh v Shreyas Iyer

The changing of the guard at DD seems to have galvanized their captain Shreyas Iyer into the team’s most important batsman and after his brutal knock against KKR the other day, he would like to repeat that performance against CSK tonight. He is their top-scorer with 244 runs to his name and is currently averaging 61, to go along with a strike rate of 162.66. CSK would like to keep him quiet and perhaps get his wicket early and the man for the job could well be their experienced off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh.

With Imran Tahir expected to be rested according to most reports, the Indian bowler is going to have to shoulder the responsibility of the CSK spin attack. In a bowling line-up that has been quite profligate so far, Harbhajan has gone for only 7.95 runs an over and that is the best economy rate among all CSK bowlers. Admittedly, he would like to add to his wickets tally of 3 and the addition of Iyer to that could well prove to be a big moment in tonight’s game.

#1 Ambati Rayudu v Trent Boult

The current holder of the Orange Cap has been one of the big reasons why CSK have been able to dominate most bowling attacks in this year’s IPL. Opening batsman Ambati Rayudu has got the team off to fast starts in almost every game and in the process, he has scored 329 runs in 7 games at an average of 47. Additionally, he has recorded a strike rate of 154.46. Considering the fact that he is equally at ease against both pace and spin, it has been difficult for most bowlers to keep him quiet. In tonight’s game, his wicket is going to be crucial for DD and if he does manage to get them off to another flier, then the visitors are in for a tough time.

However, in Trent Boult, they have one of the finest fast bowlers in the world and has emerged as DD’s highest wicket-taker with a haul of 11 scalps. He has recorded an economy rate of 8.74 thus far and his opening spell is going to be a new challenge for Rayudu. Boult’s pace, swing, seam movement and intelligence has troubled the best in the business. That opening skirmish will almost definitely have a huge effect on the ultimate outcome of the game and whoever wins this battle will give his team a big chance of winning the game.