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Match Details
Date: September 30, 2021
Time: 7:30 PM (IST)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Live Ball-by-Ball Commentary: SportsTiger App
Preview
Closing in on the business end of the Indian T20 League, there is another mouth-watering clash lined up on Thursday. Hyderabad and Chennai will meet each other at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in this fixture and although Chennai has seemingly gathered enough points to let them feature in the Playoffs while Hyderabad are at the bottom of the table, make no mistake, a new-look Hyderabad showed its potential against Rajasthan the other day.
Moreover, Hyderbad could play with a bit more freedom now with nothing to lose as their qualification is looking like a rare mathematical possibility at the moment. Chennai are yet to lose in the UAE leg of the competition but they would know that a team like Hyderabad can be dangerous on a given day. It is perhaps the beauty of this tournament that despite it being the matchup between the topmost and the bottom-most teams on the table, there is expected to be an enriching contest between the two teams.
Weather Report:
Pitch Report:
Key Players:
Hyderabad: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma/ Khaleel Ahmed
Chennai: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood/Dwayne Bravo
Analysis:
Chennai have more or less all bases covered this season. While they were convincing in the manner in which they won their first two matches in the Middle East leg of the tournament this year, in the last match against Kolkata they also showed that if the match goes down to the wire, they have the depth and the firepower to finish things off.
All this despite Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni not being in the best form with the bat. At any point, if they get going, this will truly be a team to beat heading into the knockout stages as they also have variety in their bowling with each bowler performing its role to perfection. Fielding is perhaps a bit of a concern but with some gun fielders in key positions- the likes of Faf Du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja along with youngsters Sam Curran and Ruturaj Gaikwad, they are a safe fielding side.
Expect a no-nonsense approach from them in this match as they would want to qualify with a win and breathe easy.
Hyderabad, meanwhile, were clearly top class in the way they performed against Rajasthan. Just their second win but a win can sometimes do a world of good to the confidence level and suddenly the team can start believing that they can taste success in the remaining matches to at least end the season on a high, if not for anything else. Jason Roy scored a fifty, Wriddhiman Saha has been playing a few cameos up at the top, Kane Williamson returned to form and Abhishek Sharma also showed his potential. Only Priyam Garg departed for a golden duck but he is going to get a few opportunities to prove himself at this level.
In the bowling, they have a magician in Rashid Khan and all-rounder Jason Holder who has been in great rhythm both with the bat and ball. Khaleel Ahmed was out injured in the last match and it would be interesting to see in whose place he comes back if he does for the Chennai fixture.
Dafabet Prediction of the Day
Head to Head:
The two sides have faced each other as many as 15 times and clearly, it is the MS Dhoni-led franchise, who has dominated this rivalry. While the Men in Yellow have 11 wins, the Orange Army have 4.
UAE factor:
Even among the matches played in UAE, it is the Chennai side who have a better record. In the 3 matches played here, Chennai have 2 wins in comparison to Hyderabad's solitary win. Moreover, the run in the ongoing season also shows the wide gulf between both the teams.
So statistically speaking, Chennai enjoy an edge over Hyderabad.
Team 1
Team 2
Best 14
Wicketkeepers: Wriddhiman Saha, MS Dhoni
Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jason Roy, Kane Williamson, Faf du Plessis
All-rounders: Jason Holder, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Siddharth Kaul
Disclaimer: The fantasy tips and facts expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. They do not reflect the views of SportsTiger. It is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.