CSK, SRH eye vital win to boost qualification hopes

Two wins in their final two games will ensure CSK finish the group stages with 16 points. That would firmly put them in contention for a playoff spot even though the final outcome would depend on other results. CSK would have gladly seized this opportunity six weeks ago when they looked clueless after losing their first three games. At that point in time, it didn't look like they would be in playoffs contention at the business end of the tournament. But since then, they have mostly had favourable results even though injuries have continued to haunt them.

The five-time champions navigated through all those challenges and could have actually been in a much better position heading into this crucial last home fixture against SRH had they beaten LSG in the previous game. If they slip further, those playoffs hopes will be significantly dented. Even though LSG flattened the CSK bowling unit in the last game, the bowling attack has largely looked impressive. Spencer Johnson's addition gives the bowling group more bite, which they will need against SRH's intimidating top 4.

The focus will once again be on the batting lineup, as CSK desperately need runs from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis in particular. Kartik Sharma has shown a lot of promise in recent games after an erratic start but runs at the back end remain elusive. SRH's graph has been pretty similar. They lost three of their first four games and incidentally, their win over CSK at home is what has kept them above the Super Kings in the points table. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen have done the heavylifting in the batting department. Similar to CSK, doubts persist over the lower middle order's ability to deliver.

SRH's last outing in Ahmedabad was a shocker; they were bundled out for just 86. They would hope that it was a one-off performance as another repeat will cause a huge dent on the NRR. Given how the points table has currently shaped up, this could be the deciding factor in the end.

When: CSK vs SRH, May 18 at 7:30 PM

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect: The weather in Chennai has been slightly inconsistent over the last few days. But no rain threat is expected on match day. The contest will be played on the surface that was used against Mumbai Indians.

Head-to-head: CSK 15 - 8 SRH

Team News

Chennai Super Kings

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Most players skipped the pre-match practice session. But MS Dhoni once again had a hit in the nets as intrigue grows over his CSK future. It will be interesting to see if CSK throw in Dian Forrester straightaway to bolster the lower middle order.

Tactics & Matchups: Although Mukesh Choudhary has struggled against Abhishek Sharma previously, the pacer has had great success against Ishan Kishan, dismissing him thrice in just 7 balls.

Probable XII: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Dian Forrester/MS Dhoni, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Injuries/Unavailabilities: While there are no new injuries reported in the SRH camp, they do have a case to bring back Aniket Verma to strengthen their batting down the order.

Tactics & Matchups: Pat Cummins has a favourable matchup against Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube. Given they bat in different phases of the game, Cummins will have to manage his overs effectively. While Heinrich Klaasen batted at No.5 last game, SRH may have to move him back to 4 again to counter Noor given the South African's imperious record against the wrist spinner.

Probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora/Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge

Did you know:

- SRH dropped 24 catches - the most by any side, and their catching efficiency of 72.7 % is the second-worst by any team this season.

- CSK's opening stand has the lowest run-rate (8.84) and the second-worst average (25.54) this season.

- Heinrich Klaasen is just the 5th player in IPL history to go past 500 runs in an IPL season while batting at No.4 or lower.

What they said:

"Jamie (Overton) was unbelievable for us and when you're kind of watching from the sidelines, I'm kind of thinking if I get an opportunity that's the role I'm going to be in, bowling that sort of back of the length heavy ball, so I guess you can see how much success he had and that's what I wanted to do when I came in." - Spencer Johnson on his role in the side.