Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium is all geared up to witness another cricketing extravaganza as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be looking to beat two-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League Final (IPL) on Sunday.
Having failed to beat the former India skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team in both the group stage meetings as well as the first Qualifier match this season, the Sunrisers are going to have to produce something out of the blue if they are to beat CSK on the fourth attempt and lift their second title today.
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However, the Sunrisers will be more than optimistic about their chances of emerging winners as they have the meanest bowling attack in the league, with the lowest economy rates among all teams, boasting the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, and 19-year-old Afghanistan sensation Rashid Khan.
They also have an inconsistent but formidable batting line-up, with captain Kane Williamson being the top run-getter this far this season.
Also, their dramatic victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Qualifier 2 was a testament to their ability to claw back from seemingly lost situations, as Rashid Khan first blasted 34 from 10 deliveries before bowling a magical spell of 2-11 from his four overs. An added incentive will be the fact that CSK does not have a great record in the finals, having lost four of their six previous finals.
However, CSK, returning to the competition after a two-year ban, will be playing their seventh final, and defeating them will be no mean feat as they themselves have some of the best performers of the season as four of their batsmen, Ambati Rayudu (586), Dhoni (455), Shane Watson (438) and Raina (413) have crossed the 400-run mark this season.
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The marked improvement in their bowling has been down to the excelled performances from Ravindra Jadeja, Lungi Ndidi, and Deepak Chahar, especially in the second half of the season.
Coupled with Dhoni’s experience, composure, tactical acumen and the little X-factor, CSK will make for a formidable challenge for the SRH to claim their second IPL title.
With inputs from ANI