IPL 2018: CSK vs SRH, Match 46 - Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

Sunday afternoon will only get better for the viewers as the heavyweights Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings clash against each other at the MCA Stadium, Pune. Whilst the Sunrisers have already confirmed their qualification, Chennai are a whisker away from achieving a spot in the playoffs.

The Chennai Super Kings are coming off a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals whilst the Sunrisers humiliated Delhi Daredevils, chasing down a huge 188-run target in the easiest way possible. The Sunrisers are on a 6-match winning streak and their main focus now will be to test their bench.

This will be one cracker of a contest, just the way it was when these sides met in Hyderabad last month. The Sunrisers lost narrowly in a high-scoring encounter and something similar can be expected to unfold tomorrow as well. Here’s the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s predicted XI for this all-important clash.

Openers – (Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan)

Alex Hales is one of the best openers in the cricketing world right now and no wonder the Sunrisers considered him as a like-for-like replacement for David Warner. Thus far, he’s been decent, but they’d be expecting a big score from his bat, which certainly is on its way considering the form he’s been in.

After failing to go big in the last few games, there were many concerns with regards to Shikhar Dhawan‘s form. But the southpaw from Delhi notched a much-needed big score against DD, which should set the tone just ahead of the business end of the tournament.

Middle Order – (Kane Williamson (C), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk))

Kane Williamson has been the pillar of this batting lineup and he’s the second highest run-scorer this season. He can shift gears depending on the situation and has been an invaluable asset for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sreevats Goswami might just be getting another game with Wriddhiman Saha’s fitness still being a concern also the fact that he didn’t disappoint makes life easy for the SRH management.

Manish Pandey has been one of the few disappointing facets in the Sunrisers lineup this season. He has not been at his best, but his class cannot be doubted. He has been outstanding on the field and has already taken some stunning catches. But he’s certainly due a big knock and they’d want him to come good getting into the playoffs.

All-rounders – (Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan)

Yusuf Pathan rediscovered his form this season and is proving to be one of the most important players for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Not many touted him to do so well and having such an experienced player as a finisher is always a plus point for any side. Yusuf has also put his best on the field and can be seen diving around and pluck key catches.

This perhaps is the best IPL season for Shakib Al Hasan and his contribution for SRH has been phenomenal. He’s always bowling the tough overs and more often than not delivers the goods for Williamson. He might as well play every game this season for the first time in his IPL career.

Bowlers – (Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul)

Hands down the most dazzling bowling contingent this season, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have redefined the way bowling has been perceived in the IPL. The likes of Rashid Khan and Sandeep Sharma are doing a mind-boggling job tying up the batters by not giving away anything, whilst the others are cashing in and picking wickets.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar easily qualifies as one of the best bowlers in the world and despite missing a few games in between, he bowled an excellent last over against the Royal Challengers. Siddarth Kaul has earned a place in the Indian limited-overs team on the back of his exploits this season and will be keen to continue his good form.

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