What

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be playing their first match at their headquarters – in Hyderabad – when they take on the Chennai Super Kings in Match 34 of Pepsi IPL 2015.

While CSK are placed in a comfortable position with six wins from eight outings, SRH, who have three wins from seven matches, find themselves in a tightly packed bottom half. In their most recent outing on April 27, SRH defeated Kings XI Punjab by 20 runs in Mohali.

When

02 May 2015, 8p.m. IST

Where

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

The Protagonists

The common factor in each of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s three wins so far in Pepsi IPL 2015 is that David Warner has been top-scorer for the team. The left-hander has a reputation of being a player who can destroy bowling attacks single-handedly. In a team that doesn’t boast of too many other match-winners, the captain holds the key to the team’s success. On the bowling front, Trent Boult has been the top wicket-taker for the team in two of their three wins. The left-arm pacer from New Zealand brings a lot to the table; he is the bowler in form, bowls at a good pace, bowls a fuller length, uses the angles well, and most importantly seldom fails to pick up a wicket.

In a team packed with match-winners, the two players in the CSK lineup who have done more damage than the rest are Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith. From what we have seen of the two openers so far in Pepsi IPL 2015, it appears the instruction given to them is ‘play your shots and give the team a flying start’.

Contests to look-forward to

Round One in the contest between Trent Boult and Brendon McCullum was won by the CSK batsman. In the match in Chennai on April 11, enroute to his 56-ball century, McCullum scored 21 runs off the ten balls he faced from his Kiwi teammate, which included three boundaries and a six.

Previous Meetings

Chennai Super Kings have clearly dominated contests against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The two teams have so far met on five occasions; CSK have prevailed in four of those contests, while SRH emerged victors in Ranchi last season.

When these two teams came up against each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai earlier this season, the CSK opener Brendon McCullum lit up the venue, scoring the first century of Pepsi IPL 2015. Riding on that century, the hosts amassed 209 runs on the board and then restricted the visitors to 164 for 6 to win by 45 runs.

Trivia

Sunrisers Hyderabad have an impressive record in IPL matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad; they have won 8 of the 12 matches they’ve played at the venue so far.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner has won the toss in only one of his team’s seven matches in Pepsi IPL 2015.

The average first innings total in IPL matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad is 157.

What Next

Both SRH and CSK are scheduled to take the park next on May 4. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s next match is the away clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders, scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens. Chennai Super Kings meanwhile head back home to host Royal Challengers Bangalore.