IPL 2018, CSK vs SRH: 5 players battles to look forward to in Qualifier 1

S Sam
Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad - IPL T20
Kane Williamson

The Chennai Super Kings are the traditional powerhouses of the IPL and after returning to the competition following the two-year ban, they are back among the best in the competition. Prior to the tournament, they had been written off as being too old but they have played superbly so far and could book their place in their 7th IPL final overall if they win tonight’s Qualifier at Mumbai against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

These two have been the two best teams in the tournament and are rightly placed at the top of the pile in the table. That being said, SRH have had a rough time in the last few games and three straight losses in their previous three games have knocked them off their feet a bit. More importantly one of them was against CSK and in the game earlier on in the season, the Dhoni-led side got the better of SRH. That being said, a Qualifier is a big game and big teams often get their act together on the big occasion. The two teams are filled with stars and big players, who can turn games on their own.

Needless to say, there are going to be some enthralling battles on display tonight and here is a look at 5 of the most important ones.


#5 Harbhajan Singh v Kane Williamson

He might not have made headlines throughout the course of this season’s IPL but Harbhajan Singh has emerged as one of the most reliable spinners in this season’s IPL and has provided the CSK attack with the control that they once so sorely lacked. He has taken only 7 wickets in 12 games but it is the off-spinner’s economy rate of 8.48 that makes him a standout performer.

Tonight, he will be up against one of the world’s premium batsman in the form of SRH captain Kane Williamson and considering the sort of form he has been in, it promises to be a grand battle. The Kiwi has plundered 661 runs at an average of 60.09 so far and has been particularly excellent against spin, which is why his battle with Harbhajan is going to be a hugely important one.

#4 MS Dhoni v Rashid Khan

Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings - IPL T20
MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has slammed 446 runs in this season’s IPL at an average of 89.20 and a strike rate of 157.20, which has often seen him batting in the fashion that he used to a decade ago. His presence in that middle-order has been absolutely crucial for the sort of carnage CSK have unleashed as a batting side and in tonight’s Qualifier, his battle against the world’s finest T20 bowler is going to be one of the biggest highlights.

The CSK captain’s scoring rate against leg-spin is not that high and that is the sort of duel in which a bowler like Rashid Khan truly enjoys. Although the Afghan has gone wicketless in his previous three games, perhaps it is now time for him to get back into prime wicket-taking form. His range of deliveries, clever changes of lengths and the sheer amount of turn he generates are his strong points. However, if Dhoni can go after him in the middle overs, then the SRH bowling attack’s back would be broken and it would go a long way in ultimately deciding the direction of the game.

#3 Shane Watson v Sandeep Sharma

Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings - IPL T20
Shane Watson

In his latest game against SRH, Shane Watson slammed a 35-ball 57 (5 fours, 3 sixes) to knock the stuffing out of one of the tournament’s much-vaunted bowling attacks and tonight, he would like to repeat that performance. The Australian all-rounder has provided CSK with excellent starts and has recorded an average of 33.69, to go along with a strike rate of 147.47.

In tonight’s game, he would be up against the swing, seam and movement of SRH’s Sandeep Sharma early on. The SRH bowler came into the team as Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s replacement but since then he has nailed down a place in the side due to a string of excellent performances. The right-arm swing bowler has taken 9 wickets in 10 games but what has made him such a superb operator is his remarkable economy rate of only 6.78 and it his tight bowling that could be the best antidote for Watson’s power-hitting. It is going to be one of the most intriguing battles in the game.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan v Lungi Ngidi

Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad - IPL T20
Shikhar Dhawan

The SRH batting is heavily dependent on their top order and one of the players who has been a rock for them at the opener’s slot is Shikhar Dhawan. He has returned to excellent form after a slight dip and seems in superb touch going into tonight’s game. He has made scores of 50,18, 79 and 92* in his last 4 games (most recent first) and looks all set to have a major say in the big game tonight at Mumbai.

However, the CSK fast bowling attack has also shown a lot of improvement in the recent past and the man who has led the recovery is their South African import Lungi Ngidi. Dhawan’s early battle with the South African is going to set the tone for the SRH batting effort. Ngidi has troubled the best batsmen in the business with his pace, bounce and movement over the 5 games that he has played so far. He has taken 9 wickets in 5 games and has returned an economy rate of only 6.11. Those are remarkable figures and considering what he did in the last game (4-10 against Kings XI Punjab), he is going to be CSK’s best bet for snaring Dhawan’s wicket in the early exchanges.

#1 Ambati Rayudu v Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Ambati Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu

Although he has not been in vintage form for much of the tournament, the only SRH bowler who can do the job is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In the previous game, Rayudu was brilliant against him but Kumar is the sort of bowler who can work on his faults and come back as a better bowler in the very next game. SRH would hope that he is able to deliver a superb spell to Rayudu early on and if he can actually take his wicket in the process, then they would be elated.

Ambati Rayudu has quite clearly been CSK’s best batsman but what makes him so much more dangerous in the context of this game against SRH, is his record against those opponents this season. He is CSK’s top scorer with 586 runs (average 45.07, strike rate 153.40) and in the two games against SRH, he made an unbeaten century and then slammed 79 in the latest game at Hyderabad. If SRH are to have any chance of winning this game, then they must find a way to stop Rayudu.

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Edited by Amar Anand