IPL 2018

SRH fret over Dhawan's fitness ahead of CSK challenge

by Kritika Naidu • Last updated on

Dhawan did not bat against KXIP after sustaining a blow to his left hand in Mohali © BCCI

It's a strange coincidence that in the respective four games that Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have played so far in this season of the Indian Premier League, they have had identical results, having also played the same teams. Both Sunrisers and Super Kings beat Rajasthan by big margins (9 wickets and 64 runs respectively), beat Mumbai Indians by one wicket off the final ball, overcame Kolkata Knight Riders' challenge by five wickets and were beaten by Kings XI Punjab. There will, however, be a change in that trend when the Sunrisers host the Super Kings in Hyderabad on Sunday (April 22), with SRH having won eight of their nine matches at home since their loss to Rising Pune Supergiant last season. Yet, it is the visitors who lead the head-to-head 4-2 between the sides.

If SRH's middle order last season was a worry that was overshadowed by the Warner-Dhawan blitz at the top, this season, the need for them to shine has risen significantly. Sunrisers would be happy though to have Manish Pandey getting a move on with an unbeaten half-century against KXIP in their 15-run loss. But their batting will be put to a stiff test against a CSK attack that is spin heavy. With SRH already missing out on Warner's firepower at the top, in-form Dhawan's potential unavailability after he was hit on the elbow in their last game, puts them in a spot of bother.

While SRH have been reliant on their bowlers to deliver the goods, CSK bowling hasn't come to the party so far in the tournament. It has been their batsmen who have stepped up at different points. Sunrisers' batsmen, too, have found ways of making up for the lack of the Warner-esque firepower at the top. But with a side like CSK, whose batting runs deep with the presence of multiple match-winners, onus will again be on SRH's bowlers.

Chris Gayle hit SRH for as many as 11 sixes, with Rashid Khan particularly having an off day, but that won't change their bowling combination of two main spinners and three pacemen. It has been a different story for CSK, who have had to use seven bowlers consistently, with Shane Watson showcasing his utility as a top-class all-rounder. Watson has been stellar so far with ball and bat. His thumping century against Rajasthan Royals in their last game led CSK to the top of the table. Whether or not they can sustain their run at the top, with the top-four teams tied on equal points, remains to be seen. But a win here would mean momentum and confidence for SRH, who play three games in next five days.

When: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, April 22, 16:00 IST

Where: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

What to expect: A hot day where the temperatures could rise to 39 degrees in the day, with Hyderabad coming into its own with the summer.

Team News

Sunrisers Hyderabad: SRH will be sweating over Dhawan's fitness ahead of the big test. Dhawan was rested an extra day and didn't train with the squad on the eve of the match. A fitness test tomorrow will determine his availability. In the eventuality of him being unavailable, Sunrisers have enough arsenal to form a combination to work with. Alex Hales could come in at the top to beef up the batting in Dhawan's absence. In that case, SRH will likely drop an overseas pacer, given the need for a power hitter early on and also factoring in the strength that their Indian pace unit possesses. Although, Carlos Brathwaite was taking throwdowns in the middle even before the team was out and about on the eve of the match. Yet, given his struggles against spin, and with CSK having more than just skillful ones, he is unlikely to make the XI.

Chennai Super Kings:Chennai would have been relieved with Suresh Raina returning to the side after his calf injury. They are unlikely to tweak their side that has been finding ways to pull off wins, especially after a thumping one like they did against Rajasthan.

Head to Head: SRH 2 - 4 CSK

Team Record at the venue:SRH 1 - 1 CSK

Interesting face-offs

Dhoni vs Bhuvneshwar: Dhoni has scored 81 runs off Bhuvneshwar from just 44 balls at a SR of 184.09 - the most scored off the bowler by a player without getting dismissed.

Raina vs Bhuvneshwar: The pacer has had much more success vs Raina, dismissing him thrice in 45 balls conceding 62 runs (since 2013).

Harbhajan vs SRH batsmen: Harbhajan hasn't dismissed Dhawan (81 off 61), Saha (51 off 34) and Yusuf Pathan (32 off 25) since IPL 2013. However, he has had the better of Manish Pandey thrice in 48 balls conceding only 46 runs.

Venue trends

SRH have won eight of the nine matches at their home since last season with only loss coming against RPS.

Last season, five of the seven matches in Hyderabad were won by sides batting first. But this season both games were won by SRH chasing.

IPL 2018 trends

CSK has been the best side in death overs with the bat scoring at 12.26 while SRH is the best with the ball conceding only 7.30 in the death compared to the tournament average of 10.19.

What they said:

"There are a lot of options and that's the luxury we have. Because again we've reiterated that with the kind of players we have in the squad we can make five or six combinations. There are various combinations which we can explore but I'm hoping Shikhar will be fine and he will play tomorrow" - VVS Laxmanis hopeful of having Dhawan fully recovered for the CSK clash.

© Cricbuzz

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