SRH vs CSK, Match 27 – Top player battles to watch out for

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) play host to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 27 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday, April 18.

The 2016 champions come into the game on the back of a victory over previously unbeaten Rajasthan Royals. They defeated the Jaipur-based side by 57 runs after debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain took four wickets each to dismantle the opposition.

CSK, on the other hand, have found their feet in the IPL after winning two successive games, against the Delhi Capitals and the Kolkata Knight Riders. They defeated the latter by 32 runs on home soil thanks to Noor Ahmad’s three-wicket haul.

CSK’s in-form batting unit will take on a rejuvenated SRH bowling unit, comprising both Hussain and Hinge. The pair will be looking to trouble the likes of Sanju Samson, who recently scored his first hundred in the iconic yellow jersey. 

It will also be a tall order for CSK’s bowling department to curtail SRH’s free-scoring batting, particularly after Khaleel Ahmed’s injury.

Here are 3 player battles for SRH vs CSK, Match 27 of IPL 2026:

3. Sanju Samson vs Praful Hinge

A highly anticipated clash at the start of the innings after SRH’s previous game, an in-form Sanju Samson will come up against a fiery Praful Hinge. On debut, the 24-year-old pace bowler took three wickets in his first over, including scalps of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel.

Hinge will face his first real test in the IPL when he faces Samson on Saturday. The right-handed batter is known to attack the bowlers from the get-go, to make the most of the fielding restrictions. This will be the first time Samson will face Hinge in his professional career.

2. Travis Head vs Anshul Kamboj

Yet another new ball battle, Travis Head and Anshul Kamboj have faced each other twice in the IPL. The Australian batter has scored 34 runs against Kamboj at a strike-rate of 154.54. 

The right-arm pacer, however, has taken the wicket of Head once, knocking his off stump over. That was last year when the two sides faced each other in Chennai, with SRH winning by five wickets on that occasion.

1. Ishan Kishan vs Noor Ahmad

Despite being dismissed once by Noor Ahmad in the IPL, Ishan Kishan has an excellent record against the Afghanistan bowler. The left-handed batter has scored 22 runs from just 12 balls at a strike-rate of 183.33.

Expect this battle to dominate the middle order, with Kishan taking on the role of keeping the run-rate high whilst the field is spread out.