IPL 2023, CSK vs SRH: Decoding the key player battles
What's the story
Match 29 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will see Chennai Super Kings meet Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Four-time champions CSK have made a decent start, winning three of their first five games.
SRH, who lost their first two fixtures, have made a strong bounce back (W2, L2).
Here are the anticipated player battles on display.
#1
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Ruturaj Gaikwad
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is bound to tackle Ruturaj Gaikwad as the duo opens the proceedings in their respective departments.
Though Bhuvneshwar is yet to dismiss the CSK opener in three IPL meetings, he has conceded just 21 runs off 22 balls.
Gaikwad's strike rate in powerplay overs this season has been 150.37.
Notably, Bhuvneshwar owns the most wickets in the powerplay in IPL history (60).
#2
Mayank Markande vs Ravindra Jadeja
Leg-spinner Mayank Markande has fared well this season, scalping six wickets in just three games.
As he has struggled against left-handed batters, Ravindra Jadeja can give him a hard time.
Notably, Markande has an economy rate of 8.5 against southpaws in IPL.
Surprisingly, Jadeja has been troubled by leggies in IPL and his paltry strike rate of 100.70 against them states the same.
#3
Harry Brook vs Tushar Deshpande
The first centurion of IPL 2023, Harry Brook can do some real damage in the powerplay overs.
He enjoys tackling pacers in T20s and his strike rate of 163.6 is a testimony of the same.
Tushar Deshpande will look to send him cheaply.
Though the young pacer tends to get wayward at times, his pace and swing can trouble Brook early on.
#4
Aiden Markram vs Maheesh Theekshana
SRH skipper Aiden Markram would be raring to make a mark in the upcoming game.
Though Maheesh Theekshana would enjoy bowling in Chennai, the Proteas star can challenge him.
Notably, Markram has gathered 47 runs off 35 deliveries against the mystery off-spinner in T20s without being dismissed once.
Even, overall, Markram boasts a healthy strike rate of 133.94 against spinners in T20 cricket.
Details
Pitch report, timing, and streaming details
As mentioned, Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will host this duel on Friday (April 21).
A couple of high-scoring games have been played here this season; both were won by teams batting first.
Spinners can be impactful in the middle overs.
Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema from 7:30pm onward.
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