Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are poised to face off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad in Match No. 18 of the ongoing IPL 2024 on April 5.
SRH, captained by Pat Cummins, commenced this edition with a setback, suffering a defeat to two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by four runs.
However, they staged a splendid recovery in their second fixture, triumphing over Mumbai Indians by 31 runs at home. Despite their commendable efforts, the Hyderabad-based franchise stumbled to a seven-wicket loss against Gujarat Titans in their last outing.
Their forthcoming clash will mark their second home game, and they will be eager to turn the tide in their favour.
Meanwhile, defending champions CSK commenced the season impressively, securing consecutive victories against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.
However, the outcome of their recent encounter against Delhi Capitals was less favourable, as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side succumbed to a 20-run defeat. With their illustrious history of five-time championships, CSK undoubtedly possesses the resilience to regroup and deliver a formidable performance in this match.
In the 19 head-to-head battles between the two sides, Chennai have managed 14 wins while Hyderabad stand at 5 wins.
Pitch Report
The Hyderabad stadium is anticipated to offer a flat pitch, potentially favouring spin bowlers to some extent. Considering the presence of dew at this venue, the preferable decision would be to opt for chasing the target after winning the toss. While the pitch's behaviour in Hyderabad has been somewhat unpredictable, it is expected to align with the prevailing trends observed across other pitches during this season.
Probable Playing XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Mayank Agarwal, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik (Impact substitute)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizvi, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana (Impact substitute)
Prediction
SRH will be playing at home but with the form CSK are in, they hold a slight advantage and are favourites to win.