IPL 2018 Final, CSK vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad predicted playing XI to take on Chennai Super Kings
After a worrying dip in performances, Sunrisers Hyderabad resurrected their bid for silverware in a way that is absolutely typical of them, scrappy batting with flashes of brilliance and doggedness, followed by a bowling effort of impressive resolve and discipline. Similarly, Chennai Super Kings were also true to their own self in the manner that they beat Hyderabad in the first qualifier, starting well, faltering towards hopelessness and then revived by another piece of once-in-a-career heists.
Things seem to have come a full circle, with both the teams coming into the finals with the momentum they had when they started the tournament. Both the teams had their share of challenges to begin with. SRH were without the services of their most prolific batsman of all time, David Warner, and there were doubts lingering over the subjectively high average age of the Chennai Super Kings squad, but nevertheless, both have done a praiseworthy job in getting within one good game's grasp of laying their hands on the much-coveted title.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be determined after their confidence-restoring effort in the Qualifier 2 where they once again came together as a unit.
Let's take a look at their predicted playing XI for the match:
Shikhar Dhawan will look to eradicate his singular poor memory of playing an IPL final, when he got out for an eight-ball duck against CSK in 2010. Having found his form back after a brief phase of indifferent performances, Dhawan has scored three fifties in his last six games and will look to tee off against the pace of Lungi Ngidi and Shardul Thakur.
Wriddhiman Saha had a good outing coming back from a niggle, and boy did he need those runs, after having endured a torrid run with the bat in this tournament. In a match where each chance and half chance has to be converted, Saha's performance with the gloves will be very crucial if SRH are to overcome CSK's almost endless list of match-winning batsmen.
Kane Williamson has assumed David Warner's role with ease. With a rejuvenated batting style, Kane is no longer the subdued accumulator he once was, but instead carries the weight of SRH's batting, like Warner used to. The orange cap holder will be under pressure to both score the runs for his side and deploy his resources with immaculate thought.
Shakib Al Hasan has not had the best of times with the bat, managing only middling performances throughout, but his left arm darts have left batsmen gasping for respite as he has consistently picked crucial wickets. Against a right-handed heavy batting line-up of CSK, it will be intriguing to see Shakib relish the opportunity to win his third IPL title.
Manish Pandey, expected to come in for Deepak Hooda, has struggled throughout the tournament perhaps because of the massive expectations that came along with his ₹11.5 cr price tag in the auction. An excellent player of spin, Pandey will be an excellent addition to a struggling middle order. He is the man for the big occasion, as testified by his Man-of-the-Match performance in the 2014 IPL final.
Yusuf Pathan, once looking like his old self, has also seen his form dip towards the latter end of the tournament. But if he clicks, there are few players in the world who have as much of an impact as he can. His off-spin can be used as a surprise move against the left-handed Suresh Raina whose attacking instincts can be exploited by luring him into a false sense of security.
Carlos Brathwaite was benched for most of the tournament, but when he was brought into the side, he contributed quite well. Nobody will ever forget how he fared in perhaps the biggest moment of his cricketing career, smashing four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to get 19 off the last over in the final of the World T20 2016. His underrated military medium pace will be useful in changing the course of the match.
Rashid Khan is perhaps the biggest sensation in world cricket right now. After much was said in the initial stages of the IPL about how batsmen had started to pick his variations, he came into his own once again, bamboozling batsmen left and right. Fresh off a match-turning cameo of 34 off 10 balls on a sluggish wicket, Rashid's confidence will be sky high going into the winner-takes-all match.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a rare off day in the Qualifier 2 as he struggled against the brave hitting of Sunil Narine. In an attempt for redemption, he will look to go after both Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson, both of whom are known to struggle against the moving ball, and if there is anyone in world cricket who can get the ball to swing under any conditions, it is Bhuvi.
Siddarth Kaul has finally stepped out of Bhuvi's shadows and created an identity of his own as SRH's much reliable bowler at the end of the innings. Having gone through the hard grind of state cricket over the years, Kaul has both the skill and temperament for the big matches. His newfound skill of getting the ball to reverse into the batsmen in the end overs only makes it more difficult for them to accommodate.
Sandeep Sharma was dropped for the left arm seam of Khaleel Ahmed in the Qualifier 2, but expect him to be brought back after Ahmed put up an ordinary performance, leaking 38 off his 3 wicketless overs. Kane might rectify his errors of the past by bowling him out with the new ball, which is his area of expertise.