IPL 2018: Final, Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad– Expectation vs Reality

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here – it’s the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. After one and a half months of exciting cricketing action, trumping all other oppositions, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have made it to the last hurdle and it’s time for a battle of the best.

Both the teams have been consistent throughout the tournament and can boast of possessing more than one match-winner. While CSK have the destructive batting power of MS Dhoni and Shane Watson, SRH have the lethal bowling duo of Siddarth Kaul and Rashid Khan. Which side will get to hoist the cup this time around? Before the real action begins, let’s take a sneak peek into what we’re expecting from the encounter.

Ambati Rayudu to finish IPL 2018 with a blast

Ambati Rayudu has emerged as the highest run-getter for CSK in this season up until now and can be expected to continue in the same fashion to see his team through. Fourth on the list of highest run-scorers in the entire tournament and behind the SRH skipper, Kane Williamson by 102 runs, can Rayudu bring up another century to close that gap and make the finals a run feast?

In the first qualifier, Rayudu had been dismissed for a duck by Kaul off the very first ball that he’s faced and he’d be raring to take his revenge against the SRH bowling attack this time around. If CSK are to script the perfect comeback story in the history of the IPL and come up with a solution to SRH’s seemingly unplayable bowling attack, Rayudu, along with the other top and middle order batsmen will have to play nothing short of the innings of their lives.

Rashid Khan to steal the limelight away with his bowling

19-year-old Rashid Khan has turned into a superstar in IPL 2018, leaving everyone in awe of his bowling skills. Add to that the carnage he wreaked on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday (May 25) with the bat where he scored 34 runs off just 10 balls and you have the perfect match-winner a team can ask for. His ascent in the IPL is reminiscent of a young Sunil Narine back in 2012, where he left oppositions scrambling to decode his mystery spin.

Khan currently has 21 wickets in the ongoing tournament, merely 3 wickets shy of Andrew Tye who’s occupying the top spot on the highest wicket-takers list. Rashid Khan can be expected to unleash his deadliest bowling spell yet, along with some sensational batting and fielding skills in order to push his team closer to their second title win.