Chennai Super Kings are all set to host Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League at the MA Chidambaram in Chennai. However, ahead of the enticing encounter, the SRH bowling Muttiah Muralitharan coach opined that the fixture has all the qualities of a high-scoring contest, barring the case of a dry wicket.

“It could turn out to be another high-scoring game as the game has changed quite a bit from last year to this. Teams are putting up big scores with sides using the impact player rule really well,” the legendary spinner said. “However, if the wicket is dry and offers up some spin, it will be a different ball game altogether.”

However, the current season has seen a run-fest with bowlers taken for plenty of runs across the tournament. But the veteran expressed that it would be unwise to simply write it off as a given as well.

“This year that it has been the case, but we can’t write it out to be the same from here on out as the teams will sit down and study the patterns that have cropped up,” he revealed. “It is ever-changing. This pitch has a huge bearing on it and the teams have been preparing rather flat wickets.”

He shared that strike rate is another key factor that teams have been focusing on this season to utilize the 20 overs to the maximum extent to improve their chances of winning as well.

“Teams are also looking into strike rate a lot as they want to maximize on the 120 deliveries available. We are looking to play a particular brand of cricket. We have lost a couple of games along the way, but despite the results, if the team plays according to the style of cricket we want to, the coaches will be happy. A team can’t win all the games and there are going to be defeats. If we are able to win 60 per cent of our games, we have a great chance to make the playoffs,” Muttiah Muralitharan concluded.