Battle of strugglers: Super Kings meet Sunrisers

Battling poor form, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad will be under the scanner when strugglers Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad face off in the IPL on Saturday, looking to register their first win.

Three successive losses have put new skipper Ravindra Jadeja under immense pressure and he would hope his teammates can script a turnaround against the Sunrisers, who too are smarting from two reverses.

One of the most decorated teams in the history of the IPL, CSK have endured a tough season so far, with the team struggling on multiple fronts, especially batting.

While Robin Uthappa had scored a fifty in one of the games, the likes of Moeen Ali and Ambati Rayudu have failed to capitalise on their starts.

Skipper Jadeja, too, will need to give a better account of himself, even as ‘de facto’ captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks to keep guiding the team.

The absence of injured pacers Deepak Chahar and Adam Milne have affected CSK’s plans, while rookie Mukesh Choudhary has struggled with the new ball.

The Sunrisers have failed to chase down targets on two occasions, resulting in a 61- run loss against Rajasthan Royals and a 12-run defeat at the hands of new entrants Lucknow Super Giants.

Among the bowlers — pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, foreign recruit Romario Shepherd and spinner Washington Sundar — all have been among the wickets.

But their batters have not complemented the bowlers with skipper Kane Williamson failing to play an inspiring innings so far.