SRH vs CSK Qualifier1: After 40 days of exciting cricketing action, the top four of IPL 2018 have now entered the most significant phase of the tournament. SRH vs CSK Qualifier1 is very similar to a bowler being taken off for breaching the danger area more than once. They get a warning first and on repetition are not allowed to bowl again. While the winner of this game will advance through to the finals, the defeated team will get another shot to make it to the title-decider in an eliminator. Who’s going to manage chaos better? Kane Williamson or MS Dhoni?
SRHs JOURNEY TO THE FINAL FOUR
The orange army were jolted by David Warner’s axe even before the tournament started. The team has come a long way since then. The Sunrisers have had a rather tumultuous run. They won their first 3 games, lost the next two, won the next 6 and were beaten in the last 3. Although SRH were the first team to confirm a berth in the top 4, defeats in the last 3 games must be enough to keep them grounded. They face CSK in the qualifier1 and this for a direct entry into the finals.
The SunRisers went down twice against the Super Kings in the league stage. A 4-run defeat and an 8 wicket defeat. The bowlers trounced the opponents in the first ten games and the ease at which SRH were defending low scores seemed very diabolic. However, in the last 4 games, SRH have conceded 9.64 runs per over. Kane Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan have been instrumental, but to be crowned champions the middle-order needs to step up. Can the qualifier produce a change in momentum or did SRH peak too soon?
9 IN 9 FOR THE CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
CSK managed to hold on to the core of their team but after the auctions, the unit didn’t seem convincing whatsoever. But this is a side led by one MS Dhoni. Yes, he’s one of the best minds in the game and Yes, he can steer his team to a victory by the sheer genius of his captaincy. But guess what, he’s stepped up and massacred bowlers out of the park. Remember the Dhoni of the past? The nonchalant stroke making, literal toying with the bowlers – add a wizardry brain to that. Dhoni is a calmer version of the Hulk. He’s managed to manoeuvre Chennai to their 9th playoff qualification. That’s 9 in 9 years for the men in yellow.
CSKs batters have been in tremendous form. Ambati Rayudu(586), Shane Watson(438) and Dhoni(446) rank in the top 10 run-getters and that’s been the primary reason for their entry into the top 4. Lungi Ngidi has justified his inclusion in the side with some fine bowling performances. Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja are the veterans of the game and a certain Deepak Chahar has gotten better with every match. How can the SRH contain the yellow brigade?
VENUE: WANKHADE STADIUM, MUMBAI
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Overall: Played – 8, SRH won – 2, CSK won – 6
TEAM NEWS
Alex Hales was replaced by Carlos Braithwaite in the final league game but SRH are likely to have the English opener back in the squad. Yusuf Pathan also is likely to make it to the starting eleven.
For Chennai, Shane Watson is expected to return. Sam Billings after a good outing against KKR seems to have lost touch and he’ll make way for Faf Du Plessis.
EXPECTED PLAYING 11
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi
FANFIGHT FANTASY TEAM FOR SRH vs CSK QUALIFIER1
PLAY FANTASY CRICKET AND FOOTBALL ON FANFIGHT. CREATE YOUR BEST 6 AND WIN BIG. To participate in the SRH vs CSK Qualifier1 FanFight click here.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
AMBATI RAYUDU
Matches: 14, Runs: 586, Average: 45.07, Strike-rate: 153.40, Balls/boundary: 4.5
On FanFight – Credits: 8.6, Points scored: 408
SHANE WATSON
Matches: 13, Runs: 438, Average: 33.69, Strike-rate: 147.47, Balls/boundary: 4.9
On FanFight – Credits: 9.1, Points scored: 368.5
MS DHONI
Matches: 14, Runs: 446, Average: 89.20, Strike-rate: 157.04, Balls/boundary: 5.3
On FanFight – Credits: 8.6, Points scored: 364.5
LUNGI NGIDI
Matches: 5, Wickets: 9, Average: 12.21, Economy-rate: 6.11
On FanFight – Credits: 7.2, Points scored: 111
KANE WILLIAMSON
Matches: 14, Runs: 661, Average: 60.09, Strike-rate: 143.07, Balls/boundary: 5.7
On FanFight – Credits: 9.6, Points scored: 477.5
SHIKHAR DHAWAN
Matches: 13, Runs:, Average: 437, Strike-rate: 139.61, Balls/boundary: 4.83
On FanFight – Credits: 9.1, Points scored: 341.5
RASHID KHAN
Matches: 14, Wickets: 16, Average: 25.25, Economy-rate: 7.21,
On FanFight – Credits: 8.2, Points scored: 227
SIDDARTH KAUL
Matches: 14, Wickets: 17, Average: 25.88, Economy-rate: 8,
On FanFight – Credits: 7.7, Points scored: 203.5
DID YOU KNOW?
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has dismissed Suresh Raina 3 times in T20s. Raina though has scored 68 runs off 50 deliveries against the dextrous swing bowler.
Shikhar Dhawan has always been a big match player. Against Jadeja, the southpaw has scored 53 runs off 33 balls. A strike-rate of 160.61
In the completed 10 editions of the IPL, Suresh Raina has scored 400 runs or more 8 times. The two times he’s fallen short of the 400-run mark, he’s managed 399 and 375 runs. This season he’s scored 391 runs in 14 games. Not his best IPL in terms of the impact he’s had but the numbers he’s managed to put up every season are astounding. He’s also a player to keep an eye on in crucial games.
SQUADS
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Billy Stanlake, Alex Hales, Carlos Brathwaite, Ricky Bhui, T Natarajan, Mohammad Nabi, Basil Thampi, K Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Sachin Baby, Chris Jordan, Tanmay Agarwal, Shreevats Goswami, Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Faf du Plessis, Mark Wood, Karn Sharma, N Jagadeesan, David Willey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Monu Kumar, Kshitiz Sharma, Dhruv Shorey, Lungi Ngidi, Kanishk Seth, KM Asif, Suresh Raina
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