CSK Vs SRH, Sharjah, September 30, 2021

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the title-favourites of the on-going IPL in UAE, are to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday (30th September, 2021) in a match which will only be of academic significance as only one team is likely to benefit from the outcome of the match to be played at the historical Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Result may not affect CSK

Cricket analysts say that CSK is sure to win the title for the fourth time this year as its tough contender Mumbai Indians (MI) have been finding the going touch. MI needs to win all its four remaining matches (it looks all set to win against KXIP which only made 134 in 20 overs on Tuesday) to have any chance of making the play-offs. CSK tops the points-tally with 16 points from 10 outings while DC has 16 from 11 outings.

SRH out of contention to win the tourney

Just 10 days into the second-leg of IPL-2021 in UAE, it now appears certain that SRH might have already become the first time to be knocked out of the tournament as it has won just 2 of the 10 games it has played, including last night’s match against Rajasthan Royals (RR). As of now, it appears that CSK, DC and RCB would be making the play-offs with a tough fight brewing between MI, KKR, KXIP and RR for the fourth spot in the play-offs.

CSK looks a cut above the rest

CSK looks invincible at this stage. It’s batters are doing well, bowlers are delivering and fielders are backing the bowlers to the hilt. Only are of concern for CSK could be the form of its middle-order including that of Suresh Raina and ‘Thala’ Dhoni, both of whom fell cheaply against KKR on the other day. Rayudu’s form is also indifferent. Thanks to the opening pair’s supreme form, Moeen Ali’s consistency and to a great extent the efforts of the likes of Jadeja and Bravo, CSK has been pulling along. It’s highly significant for the trio of Rayudu, Raina and MSD to use the tie against SRH to get into some sort of form.

Misfiring Curran might make way for Bravo

Sam Curran had a forgettable outing against KKR, leaking more than 50 runs in his four overs. CSK took him ahead of Bravo to test his form and Sam’s form suggests that Bravo must be returning into the team’s XI on Thursday. Hazlewood, the Aussie quick, hasn’t really fired as his form in the tourney is nowhere close to his form in the red-ball cricket. SRH has only their pride to play for.

Expected XI:

CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood.

SRH: Jason Roy, Wriddhimann Saha, Williamson, Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma.