IPL 2018 SRH vs CSK: 5 player battles to look out for

Bowl first, restrict the opposition to a below par score and then chase it down. This was the template for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first three wins in the tournament but it all went haywire in the last game against the Kings XI Punjab as they crashed to a big defeat at Mohali. They have the best bowling attack in the tournament and would like to come back to winning ways in today’s game at home.

However, they will come up against a Chennai Super Kings team who are high on confidence following their decimation of the Rajasthan Royals the other day. The game promises to be an engrossing battle and the ultimate result of the game would depend on the individual battles between the players. Here is a look at 5 of the most important personnel battles.

#5 Shakib al Hasan v Sam Billings

The Bangladeshi all-round star may have gone for big runs in the last game against Kings XI Punjab but he remains a vital member of the SRH bowling machine that throttled opponents in the first three games. Tonight his duel against Englishman Sam Billings during the middle overs of the innings is going to be absolutely crucial if SRH wish to restrict CSK to a reasonable score.

Shakib has taken 5 wickets so far in the tournament and has recorded an excellent economy rate of 7.57 in 4 games.

However, in Billings, he will come up against a batsman who is not only an excellent player of spin bowling but someone who is also prepared to go after the spinners from the start and therein lies the tantalising prospect of an epic duel. He is striking at almost 179 so far and his destruction of the Kolkata Knight Riders attack two games ago is ample proof of his prowess against spinners.