Chennai vs Hyderabad player battles: Bhuvneshwar Kumar likely to be under the scanner

Team Chennai will look to register their first win of the Indian T20 League 2022 season when they take on Team Hyderabad on Saturday, April 9 at the DY Patil Stadium. The match will begin at 3:30 PM IST.

The defending champions have made the worst possible start to the new season, having lost each of their games so far. Hyderabad, on the other hand, have faced a similar fate.

Led by their maverick captain Kane Williamson, the team will hope for an upturn in their fortune against Chennai as they have only won a mere four of their 16 matches against them. The Yellow Army, meanwhile, have won an impressive 12.

Chennai vs Hyderabad key player battles

MS Dhoni vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Former captain MS Dhoni started the new Indian T20 League season with a sensational half-century against Kolkata. This was followed by his significant contributions of 16 and 23 runs against Lucknow and Punjab, respectively.

Come Saturday, Dhoni will aim to continue his dominance, especially against a certain Bhuvneshwar Kumar against whom he has scored 93 runs in 10 innings in just 54 balls. The Indian pacer is yet to dismiss the former captain in the Indian T20 League.

Ambati Rayudu vs Washington Sundar

Chennai batter Ambati Rayudu is due for a strong innings this season. The seasoned campaigner has scored just 55 runs in three matches, averaging a mere 18.33. On the contrary, a certain Washington Sundar has tallied 58 runs in two games while scalping as many wickets.

The Hyderabad all-rounder may have been among wickets, but the fact remains that he has leaked runs at will. Against Chennai, Sundar will aim to keep a certain Rayudu in check since he has conceded 31 runs in 22 balls against the 36-year-old. This includes only one dismissal in six innings.

Kane Williamson vs Dwayne Bravo

No one from Hyderabad has really peaked this season, including their captain Kane Williamson. The Kiwi international has scored a mere 18 runs in two matches and will need more than just luck to fend off a stern challenge that Chennai’s Dwayne Bravo will present.

The West Indies veteran, who has picked four wickets this season, has dismissed Williamson twice in the past while conceding 50 runs in 31 deliveries.

Featured photo: AFP / Noah Seelam