IPL 2024: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today's SRH vs CSK match

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad might still be reeking of a few thousand, 'I want to be a bowler when I grow up' dreams that died here in the last IPL 2024 clash of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

More than 500 runs were smashed in that game with the scoreboard looking like an ODI. As many as 10 bowlers went for more than 10 runs per over and seven batters had a strike rate upwards of 200. The pitch was as flat as they come, the batting was ruthless, the boundaries helpful and the bowling was helpless.

So, there's a school of thought that three bowlers might not even be among the wickets when Chennai Super Kings (another heavy, deep batting line-up) arrive at the venue to take on Heinrich Klaasen's gangsters on Friday. But we have given an honest attempt to pick the three who could have the best chance:

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#3 Shahbaz Ahmed

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) trading away Shahbaz Ahmed never really made sense from a tactical point of you and the left-arm spinner has shown that so far in IPL 2024. Not only has he shown his batting utility, but also a tendency to get the big hitters out just when they are teeing off with runs.

Against MI, he took the important wicket of Ishan Kishan in a spell of 1/39, and against GT, he got Wriddhiman Saha. Even in his first IPL match in Hyderabad, while playing for RCB, he took out Aiden Markram for 18.

The tweaker has immensely improved over the years thanks to the domestic grind and now looks much more ready for T20s. On a pitch where most fast bowlers and attacking spinners are likely to struggle, his street-smart skills could prove to be handy.

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#2 Pat Cummins

Among the only two bowlers to concede an economy rate of under 10 in the SRH-MI was the home captain Pat Cummins, who conceded 35 runs in his four overs. He was also the only bowler to take more than one wicket in the match.

He might not have been able to justify his price tag yet (who can?) but Cummins has been pretty good as a bowler in IPL 2024 so far. By keeping himself exclusively for middle and late middle overs, he has taken a specific job on the side and is fulfilling that in his limited means.

Unlike Jasprit Bumrah, he doesn't have the perfect yorker, nor does he have deceiving variations like Mohit Sharma. Cummins relies on brilliant execution of well-thought-of plans for each batter which is perhaps the best way to go in Hyderabad and is likely to reap his rewards against CSK too.

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#1 Matheesha Pathirana

It's not often you see CSK move away from relying on their spin combination home or away. But Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman offer something so good together that they just can't miss it. Pathirana, who joined from the second game of CSK's IPL 2024 campaign, has four wickets at an average of 15 already.

In the last match against Delhi Capitals in Vizag, which was a pretty good wicket to bat on as well, he took out the entire opposition middle-order with a spell of 3/31. His host of pin-point yorkers and the freedom that comes with role clarity at CSK could be a big part of the team's hopes of survival against SRH's batting giants.

With Rahman set to be unavailable for this match, Pathirana would have a similar role to the last IPL where he came out with flying colors too.