Under pressure Chennai Super Kings will gain confidence with victory over Delhi Capitals

Photo caption: MS Dhoni is struggling with his fitness this year in the IPL.

It has been a testing period for the five time winners in the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings, a team which has massive fan following and always generates a lot of attention and respect from all corners, given their philosophy and the kind of record that they have maintained.

It is not just about the number of times Chennai Super Kings has won the IPL, but also the fact that they have been one of the most successful teams in terms of matches won tells that they had been able to crack the code of success in T20 cricket.

But it is not necessary that the same formula is going to work in the future as Chennai Super Kings have continued to depend on senior and experienced players at a time when T20 teams are increasingly looking to add as much firepower and young talent as they can.

Among the young talent in Chennai Super Kings is Rachin Ravindra, a star in making from New Zealand, who has showcased his rich talent in the longer formats. CSK think that he can be for their batting mainstays in the years to come but he hasn’t been as successful in the shortest format as he has been in others. 

While there is Ruturaj Gaikwad as well, who can be destructive at the top of the order, CSK necessarily do not have similar kind of batsmen who can continue the tempo and score at risk rate. 

Sam Curran hasn’t been someone who has developed his reputation as an aggressive batsman in T20 cricket. Neither has been Ravindra Jadeja or any other in the squad who can be compelling with his stroke play. 

The problem with an ageing MS Dhoni lower in the order has only made their case worse since the legendary cricketer cannot handle the workload of running between the wickets anymore, which prevents the team from having a fit and explosive batsman lower in the order.

It is understandable that Dhoni pulls the crowd into the stadium, but it is also a fact that his batting is not the same anymore, and his fitness has been at the lowest ever in his entire career. While his wicketkeeping skills are without a doubt top notch, CSK will have to think if they can afford to play a player who isn’t at the best of his abilities. 

In such scenarios, CSK will have to find solutions to their problems and look for alternatives within the squad. The lack of form from the bat of Rahul Tripathi has added more to their concerns, but this is where CSK will have to utilise the depth of their well. 

Shivam Dubey has been one of the hardest hitters of the ball and a promotion can be considered for the left handed batsman who has delivered the goods for Chennai Super Kings in the past.

It is going to be GSK’s benefit that they are playing against one of the strongest teams in the competition, Delhi Capitals, on Saturday at their home ground where spin bowlers are going to get a lot more assistance from the surface. 

The presence of Noor Ahmed in their attack along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja becomes crucial as containment will be as important as taking wickets regularly.

The match on Saturday also gives the fans a rare opportunity to see MS Dhoni back as a captain for Chennai Super Kings as he is likely to lead the team in the absence of Gaikwad, who has been struggling with an elbow injury which he suffered during their last match against Rajasthan Royals.

If it happens that Gaikwad is not able to make the team, MS Dhoni will lead, but Chennai Super Kings will be without their batting star, someone who can hold the innings together. In such a scenario, it will be imperative for the others to pull up their weight and bring in their contributions as defeats in the last two matches are not going to do any good to Chennai Super Kings as far as the play-offs are concerned.

The role of Rachina Ravindra and Shivam Dubey will be extremely crucial as no other batsman from Chennai Super Kings has shown the kind of form that they have. But if Chennai Super Kings bowl first, their spinners should look to keep Delhi Capitals down to a gettable total.