HYDERABAD VS. CHENNAI: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 44 | PREDICTION, PLAYING 11 AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hyderabad take on Chennai in Match 44 of the Indian T20 League 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday evening.
Although Hyderabad are practically out of the play-off contention, they won their last match quite convincingly against Rajasthan, with Jason Roy and skipper Kane Williamson leading the chase. The team has chosen to bring in some fresh faces and give them game time in the remaining matches.
On the other hand, Chennai are sitting pretty at the top of the table, being consistent in terms of their team composition this season. They remain unbeaten in the UAE leg with 3 wins, including the last-over thriller against Kolkata in the previous match. A win here will see them automatically qualify for the play-offs.
Match Details
- Game: Hyderabad vs. Chennai, Match 44
- Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
- Date & Time: Sep. 30, 2021, at 7:30 PM IST/6 PM Local
Probable Playing XI:
Hyderabad
Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul
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
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be hot in Sharjah, with the temperature predicted to be around 35 degrees during the game.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been a low-scoring surface this season. As seen in the previous matches, there is low bounce and spinners are getting some turn too. The batters will have a hard time scoring runs here. The average first-innings score in the three matches played here this season has been 136 runs.
Toss
The team batting second has won 2 of the 3 games played here. Teams generally like to chase here given the surface and small boundaries. A score of around 150 runs should be a competitive one on this surface.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Wriddhiman Saha has done well at the top of the order in the absence of Bairstow. In the three matches of the second leg, he has made 67 runs with the highest score of 31. With the rest of the batting unit struggling for runs, quick runs from him at the start of the innings may be crucial here.
Batters
- Kane Williamson is one of the best all-format batters in world cricket today. He has done well for Hyderabad this season, making 198 runs in seven matches at an average of 66, including 2 fifties. He made an impressive 51* in the last match against Rajasthan, taking the team to victory.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad is having a good time in the UAE on this second leg. He has been consistent at the top of the order and has made 166 runs in three matches at an average of 83. He made scores of 40, 38, and 88* against Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai respectively.
All-Rounder
- Ravindra Jadeja was the star of the last match, with bowling figures of 1/24 and a vital knock of 22 runs off just 8 balls. Along with his undeniable batting strength, his spin should prove to be handy on a sluggish surface like Sharjah.
Bowlers
- Rashid Khan has been one of the positives for Hyderabad in an otherwise dismal season. He continues to do well with the ball, taking 13 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of just 6.15. He will look to pick up wickets against a strong Chennai batting unit.
- Shardul Thakur continued his quietly impressive campaign with 2 for 20 against Kolkata, including the key wicket of Andre Russell during the final overs. He is the second-highest wicket taker for Chennai this season, taking 10 wickets in 10 matches at a little expensive economy rate of 9.11.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: W Saha
- Batters: K Williamson, R Gaikwad, F du Plessis
- All-rounders: J Holder, M Ali, R Jadeja
- Bowlers: R Khan, B Kumar, D Chahar, S Thakur
- Captain: M Ali/F du Plessis
- Vice Captain: K Williamson/R Khan
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play all the fantasy cricket matches from the Indian T20 League. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!
