IPL Showdown: Sunrisers Hyderabad Opts to Bowl First Against Chennai Super Kings

Match Preview: SRH vs CSK

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India] - On April 25, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Chepauk Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

CSK, currently struggling at the bottom of the table with only two victories from eight matches, faces SRH, who are not far behind at ninth place with six losses in their eight games. The stakes are high, as the losing team risks finishing at the bottom and facing potential elimination. Both teams have managed just one win in their last five outings.

Kamindu Mendis has been included in the SRH lineup.

During the toss, Cummins remarked, “We are opting to bowl first. Playing against Chennai is always significant, especially after a couple of losses. However, it’s a new venue, and the team is ready. If the pitch is favorable, we expect to chase a substantial total, and we are confident in our performance regardless.”

CSK's captain, MS Dhoni, announced that young South African batter Dewald Brevis is making his debut for the team, taking the place of Rachin Ravindra, while Deepak Hooda replaces Vijay Shankar.

“The dew factor was a key reason for our decision to bowl first. When a team is not performing well, it can create pressure on everyone involved. We aim to refine our process and focus on one game at a time, experimenting with combinations while trusting our skills,” Dhoni stated. He also expressed uncertainty about the pitch conditions, noting that the groundsmen are doing their best, and reminisced about the quality of the old red soil pitch before the 2010 Champions League T20.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Hooda, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.