Dhoni’s Absence and Urvil Patel’s Brilliance: CSK vs SRH Match Heating Up
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Urvil Patel’s Consecutive Sixes Ignite CSK vs SRH Match
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Urvil Patel, who recently amassed the joint fastest half-century in IPL history, struck two consecutive sixes on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins deliveries on Monday, May 18.
The wicket-keeper first smashed a pull shot before playing MS Dhoni‘s trademark helicopter shot, putting the pacer under pressure in the CSK vs SRH match. He went after Cummins in the third over of the first innings. He delivered a short ball outside off, and Urvil pulled it over the deep mid-wicket area for the maximum. The next ball was a full toss, and the batter flicked it over deep backward square to add two sixes to the total.
Urvil Patel’s Impressive Record
Urvil Patel earlier made the headlines after posting 65 runs off 23 balls against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The young cricketer has been impressive in the shortest format of the game, scoring 1541 runs in 62 innings at a strike rate of 181.72, including three centuries and five fifties. The five-time champions retained him for INR 30 lakh ahead of the 2026 IPL auction.
CSK’s Struggle and SRH’s Bowling
CSK suffered early setbacks in the last home match vs SRH. SRH skipper Pat Cummins and Indian pacer Sakib Hussain were the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Yellow. Cummins got rid of CSK opener Sanju Samson, who managed 27 runs off 13 balls before Sakib sent back Uril Patel after the batter contributed 13 runs off 8 balls.
The Super Kings reached 180 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, with Kartik Sharma (32 off 19), Dewald Brevis (44 off 27) and Shivam Dube (26 off 23) leading the batting charge. Cummins claimed three scalps while Sakib added two wickets to his bowling figures. Praful Hinge and Eshan Malinga got rid of one batter each.
A Must-Win Game for Both Teams
It is a must-win game for Chennai Super Kings as a defeat would eliminate them from the playoff race in the current season. On the other hand, SRH also need a victory to get close to the next round. If they lose against Hyderabad in Chennai, their chances would be impacted, and the results of the other matches would play an important role in the qualification race.
No MS Dhoni in the Starting XI
No MS Dhoni in the starting XI, as the veteran was not included in the playing XI due to an injury. He is still nursing an injury, and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that Mahi could be a part of the next game if they manage to beat Sunrisers at home. Dhoni hasn’t played a game in the 19th season after getting injured before the start of the campaign.
It was reported that he was not willing to change the combination to allow the players to challenge for the knockout stage of the tournament. Fans have been left disappointed with his continued absence, and it seems Dhoni has decided to miss all the contests.
Key Players to Watch:
- Urvil Patel
- MS Dhoni
- Pat Cummins
- Sakib Hussain
