JOIN USBrimming with confidence after a perfect start to their campaign, star-studded Chennai Super Kings will start as favourites against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 here on Thursday.
Riding on its batting firepower, CSK successfully chased down a stiff target of 185 runs set by Titans with six wickets in hand to start their CLT20 campaign on a rousing note at JSCA International Stadium Complex.
The Chennai outfit would be hoping to carry on the winning momentum against fellow IPL side Hyderabad.
But it won’t be a cakewalk for local boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men as in Sunrisers they face a side who too would be eager to carry on their good work.
Two-time IPL champions, CSK boast of a star-studded line up with the likes of India skipper Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Michael Hussey and Dwayne Bravo around whom the CSK batting will revolve.
Hussey, Raina and Bravo set up CSK’s run chase the other day with some scintillating strokeplay and the trio would be eyeing a repeat performance against the Sunrisers.
Another distinct feature about this Chennai unit is the presence of quality all-rounders in their ranks. Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel, Bravo and Raina are equally capable with both bat and ball.
They also give their skipper a variety of options while bowling apart from saving runs through their fielding.
But Dhoni would be looking for a more disciplined effort from the bowlers who were erratic against the Titans.
Sunrisers, too, would be on a high given that they won their opening game of the campaign after coming through the qualifying tournament.
Chasing a challenging 160 for eight, Sunrisers rode on Thisara Perera’s unbeaten 57 to beat Trinidad and Tobago by six wickets in their first match of the main draw in Mohali on Tuesday.
Perera slammed four boundaries and as many sixes to score his runs off just 32 balls and seal a win for his side after the chase was set up by useful contributions from the top-order.
Parthiv Patel, captain Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy, Darren Sammy and Hanuma Vihari all got out after getting starts and against CSK, they would be hoping to convert their starts into big scores.
With South African speedster Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma and leg-spinner Amit Mishra in its ranks, the Sunrisers possess a very incisive bowling attack.