Mumbai: David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to capitalise on the home ground advantage when they take on a well-settled Chennai Super Kings led by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have six points from seven matches, having won three, and a win against CSK would only boost the chances of them advancing in the cash-rich tournament. CSK, on the other hand, are the table-toppers with 12 points from eight matches, having lost just two.
Check out: Points table
This match will be a tight contest for both the teams. Here are six players who could make a difference during the encounter. Let’s have a look.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Trent Boult
Leading from the front, ace New Zealand speedster Trent Boult has let the white ball do the talking always providing his team with the early breakthrough. Along with Indian Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, he can destroy any batting line-up with tremendous swing coupled with raw pace. (Photo: BCCI)
David Warner
SRH skipper David Warner can’t plead for a better form in the ongoing IPL. Barring the nine runs he scored against Mumbai Indians earlier, Warner has impressed with the bat unleashing fiery strokes early in the game, putting the opposition on the backfoot. SRH will require his fierce start on Saturday if they want to keep Dhoni and the CSK bowlers thinking. (Photo: BCCI)
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar has been very economical for SRH and his experience and bowling variations can make any batsman shaky at the crease specially during the final overs. His ability to swing the ball both ways and a knack of picking timely wickets has almost sealed his place in the side. (Photo: BCCI)
Chennai Super Kings
Ravindra Jadeja
His struggle to produce his best form continues in the IPL and Ravindra Jadeja has still not found himself amongst the run scorers or wicket takers this season. What was a positive sign was his performance against Kolkata Knight Riders, timing with the ball and watching it closely. Jadeja will look to find form during this match and keep being an asset for his team. (Photo: BCCI)
Pawan Negi
Call it luck or fate, but CSK have always managed to find the right combination of players for their playing XI. After Ravichandran Ashwin’s injury, left-arm bowler Pawan Negi not only put up a stellar performance with the ball, but his quick 13 ball 27 runs show with the bat during the KKR encounter made him the apt replacement for injured Ashwin, who will not feature in this match owing to his finger injury. Negi will most be happy to repeat his Eden Gardens show against SRH. (Photo: BCCI)
Dwayne Smith
He might have been bowled out for a duck in the very first ball itself against KKR but West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith shouldn’t be left out of the CSK equation. He has shown what a handful he can be for bowlers in this edition of the IPL, along with Kiwi star Brendon McCullum, terrorising the opposition with blast of runs at the start of the innings itself. CSK will hope for a Smith show in Hyderabad on Saturday. (Photo: BCCI)
