The return of Thala!
Match 14 of IPL will see CSK take on SRH in Dubai. CSK who have lost 2 on the go, are coming off a deserved break, a full week of rest and rehab. SRH on the other hand are here on the back of a comprehensive victory a couple of days back.
Thala, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, returns on our TV screens today after a week’s gap. MSD and his men will look to conquer the boys from Hyderabad in this encounter which promises to be nothing short of a Southern blockbuster.
CSK Lineup
CSK will have Rayudu and Bravo back, and boy were they missed! Rayudu is the new chinna thala, the right hand man of thala, and is a vital cog of this Chennai lineup. The presence of Rayudu at 4 will mean Watson doesn’t have to be so circumspect in the beginning, and Faf can play with more freedom as well. If Ruturaj, who will replace Vijay at the top, can find a way to score some quick runs, this top 4 is as good as any. A week of practice in the nets, and an intra squad match later, maybe Dhoni will finally decide to come in at 5. Dhoni walking in, is a sight cricket fans around the world love and cherish. At 6 will be Jadeja, the thing about Jadeja is that he usually carries his bowling confidence into his batting. In this competition so far, his bowling has been a little pedestrian and his batting a little bit of ordinary joe. He needs to stop bowling fast under pressure, give the ball some air, and hope that these big Dubai grounds do the trick. The real dilemma for this team would be if they want to play Bravo now or keep playing Sam Curran. It’s a long tournament and Bravo will have a part to play later on. CSK I feel will play an extra pacer, Shardul Thakur, in place of Kedar Jadhav. Hazelwood, Chahar, and Chawla will complete the lineup.
SRH Lineup
SRH finally have a win under their belt now and Williamson had a big part to play in it. They will welcome back the fit Vijay Shankar in place of Priyam Garg. This gives SRH the option of a 6th bowler, and he will look to complete the 5th bowlers quota along with Abhishek Sharma. Abdul Samad looked good in his brief stay at the wicket and cricket fans will hope he gets to play a bigger role in this game. Once again Warner and Johnny will be the key players for them and will look to do maximum damage.
Tactics
Chennai with the ball will need to strike early. SRH’s lower middle order still doesn’t look convincing and an early blow will help make inroads in it. If the conditions are anything like yesterday, Chahar and Hazelwood will be a handful and should bowl 3 overs each upfront.
SRH on the other hand will want to keep wickets in hand and take advantage of the relatively weaker spinning options in Jadeja and Chawla. In batting Gaikwad can set the tone with some good hits early, that can help Watson, Faf, and Rayudu take their time and set the game up. Bhuvi and Rashid’s overs will be crucial, and SRH will do well to use them optimally.
#MyPrediction
As we know Thala likes to do things his way, in his own time. And I have a feeling he ain’t done yet.
CSK will take the cookie home in this one.
