IPL 2022 | SRH vs CSK | How to stop the Jammu Express?

The 46th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will see Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) face off against each other. Both the teams are heading into this encounter after a defeat in their last match. SRH are in a much better situation with five wins from eight matches. While on the other hand, CSK have just managed two wins from eight matches.

The biggest news from the CSK camp is that MS Dhoni will once again lead the team in the IPL. With ‘Captain Cool’ taking up the reins once again, the fans will be waiting to see if the team can stage a dramatic turnaround. The first obstacle in their path of getting the campaign back on track will be SRH. And to defeat the men in orange, they will have to handle the lethal bowling of Umran Malik, a.k.a The Jammu Express.

Before we dwell deeper into CSK’s probable plan against the tear-away pacer, let us look at his performance in IPL 2022.

Umran Malik in IPL 2022: We have witnessed two different versions of Malik in the IPL so far. In the first four matches, the line and length were all over the place and it was just raw pace. In the last four matches, a lot has changed; Umran 2.0 is all about sheer pace with brilliant control and maturity. He is learning fast and developing into a lethal bowler.

Let us divide his performance into two halves and have a look at the change:

Umran Malik performance

The significant improvement in Malik's performance is quite noticeable. CSK faced Malik in their previous encounter in match number 17 of the tournament. But we can't judge him based on what he did during the last meeting because a lot has changed about his approach towards bowling in the last few fixtures game.

Match Phase: Umran Malik has been used as a first-change bowler by captain Kane. Let us look at how he has bowled in the different phases of the match.

Umran Malik in the different phases of a match

The table suggests that Malik flourishes in the death overs. But it will be too large a claim to make as he has just bowled one over in the death so far. He has been utilized most in the middle overs, and he has been brilliant in that phase of the game. In the last match, the SRH bowlers were poor in the death overs, due to which Kane Williamson might reserve an over or two of Malik for the death.

Chennai’s Plan: The most probable batters of the Chennai team who will face Malik are Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, and Ravindra Jadeja. Let us first look at the records of these batters against Right Arm Pace in the middle and death overs.

CSK batters’ Strike Rates in different phases

The onus of playing out the initial overs of Umran Malik quietly will be on Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu. If they can play out the opening spell of Umran Malik, it will give MSD and Jaddu the perfect launching pad. Both Dhoni and Jaddu have an excellent strike rate against Right-arm pace in the death overs. So, they can go berserk at the end if provided with a proper foundation.

So, the plan should be Dube and Rayudu seeing out the initial overs of Umran Malik, while MSD and Jadeja will take on the young bowler in the death.