Chennai Super Kings began slow, so slow that it felt like a decade since they last won the IPL. Filled with the experience and power of youth, CSK invested heavily in new talents at this year’s auction. Shivam Dubey was the prize pick, and along with Moeen Ali, and Dwayne Bravo, they had a team with strength in each department. But, performances were shaky at the start and hence four consecutive losses.
Chennai Super King’s new captain Ravi Jadeja, must be slightly relaxed post the first win but is it revival or just a moment of sunshine amidst heavy rainfall?
Ravi Jadeja is arguably the most improved player on the Indian Cricket team(in the past couple of years), but captaincy is new to him and T20 captaincy is probably the most difficult for captains because of its zero margins. In ODIs/Tests you can get away with a few mistakes, but T20 doesn’t even spare your single mistake. No wonder, he was heavily criticized for his poor bowler selection in the second match’s 19th over against Punjab Kings where Odean Smith just blew them apart. Ravi Jadeja must have learnt the importance of margins, and why it’s important to be more right than wrong. T20 cricket isn’t always about picking wickets or being aggressive, it’s also about hiding your weakness.
Over the years, CSK had match-winners or impact players who could pull the rabbit out of the hat, and players well drilled for any situation. Some of the great Chennai players in the recent past like Shane Watson, Faf Du Plessis, and Suresh Raina have either been traded or are retired, which has made the team weak in many aspects.
DUBEY AND ROBIN UTHAPPA’S DUO was able to stitch a mammoth partnership and bail the team out, but the other members of the team need to shoulder responsibility now. Otherwise, it would be a flash in the pan.
Even MSD(Mahendra Singh Dhoni) isn’t as prolific as one expects of him whereas Ambati Rayudu is struggling badly. Therefore onus of the team’s victory lies heavily on the broad shoulders of Dube and Robin Uthappa. The duo was able to stitch a mammoth partnership and bail the team out, but the other members of the team need to shoulder responsibility now. Otherwise, it would be a flash in the pan. Jadeja is a handy batsman though, and it won’t be long before he begins to wield his sword, but the rest of the team needs to raise their hand too.
With one win, they need to win 7 out of 9 remaining matches. With barely any gaps between matches, it would be imperative to keep the momentum going. CSK needs luck on their side as well, with the hope that tosses do go their way.
Chennai Super Kings, may not look the most promising side on paper, but it’s foolhardy to exclude a team that has M S Dhoni in its rank. So in spite of only one win out of five, they look more likely to qualify for playoffs than Gujrat Titans who top the league with four out of five.
