IPL 2018, CSK vs SRH Match Prediction: Who will win today's match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad
The race for a spot in the playoffs is past the warm-up stage: it's hotting up with the mid-table crunch, as teams jostle to find space and make it to the top-half bracket. The Sunrisers Hyderabad are sitting pretty at the top, having ensured their qualification - their next opponents are the Chennai Super Kings, second in the table but having lost momentum with their last-over loss in the previous game against the Rajasthan Royals.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have ticked all the boxes under Kane Williamson - the side has an unparalleled ability to form an adhesive around the players and bring out a 'team' output, as they so comprehensively did in 2016.
Manish Pandey might not be at his best, the ever-reliant Bhuvneshwar Kumar might be afflicted by fitness issues and erratic form, but the Sunrisers have sauntered along, finding a new hero in every game.
For the Super Kings, it's time to reflect on what's suddenly going wrong - a campaign that got off to a rollicking start is screeching in the latter half, and all screws need to be tightened as quickly as possible. The way the bowlers bled runs in the last game against Rajasthan requires a lot of pondering to do, for they have somehow stumbled to three losses in their previous five games.
Where: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
When: May 13, 1600 IST
If Sunrisers Hyderabad bat first
Predicted score: 165+
The combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson came good in the previous game, an exception to the side's ability to chip away with par scores, relying more on the strength of their bowling unit than the domineering firepower of batsmen.
The Pune stadium has seen a couple of 200+ scores this year, however, the same can't be expected out of a 4 pm game, with sweltering heat and the spinners ruling in the previous games here. Chennai has variety in its attack, and the likes of Dwayne Bravo and Harbhajan Singh, with their vast experience, can stifle the flow of runs in the middle.
If Chennai Super Kings bat first
Predicted score: 170+
The biggest positive for CSK's batting has been the form of MS Dhoni, who has played trailblazing knocks throughout the tournament at No.5. At the top, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu have delivered the goods, but a game-changing knock from Suresh Raina is still in the wings.
The biggest challenge will be countering the bowling unit of the Sunrisers, Rashid Khan has enjoyed his stint, backed by the likes of Siddarth Kaul, who himself will be buoyed by a Team India call-up.
Match Prediction
As much as the stakes rest in Sunrisers' favour to continue their run, the ability of the Super Kings' veterans to analyse the game and act accordingly (they won last-over thrillers towards the start of the tournament) will hold the Chennai team in good stead and could end up being the decisive factor in the final result. The experience of T20 experts like Raina and Bravo could come in handy and ensure that they get a place in the top two by getting past the most difficult opponent of this year's IPL.
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