Deepak Chahar blows away Punjab Kings

Some psychological scars are difficult to fathom in the world of sports. Just like KKR has a psychological barrier when it comes to playing against Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings has a similar barrier against Chennai Superkings. Somehow Punjab plays very awkwardly against the Superkings. I don’t know why this happens but that’s how it is. Even last year where CSK struggled with most of the teams they found ways to defeat Punjab twice. CSK looks weak on paper and logically it looked very difficult for them to beat the Punjab Kings. But, that’s exactly what happened and what was dished out yesterday was a one-sided affair that is so rare in IPL. So let’s look at the hits and misses from yesterday’s match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The Hits:

1. Deepak Chahar: MSD uses Deepak Chahar upfront and many times bowl him out within the first 7 overs. Chahar is a good swing bowler and on the days when he gets some swing he can be very dangerous. Yesterday was one such day and Dhoni found the opportunity to bowl him for 4 overs on the trot. Chahar didn’t disappoint too, picking up 4 wickets for 13 runs and broke the back of Punjab’s top and middle-order from where they never recovered.
2. There is no ICC ranking available for fielders but if there was one then I am pretty sure, Ravindra Jadeja would have been first on that list. Other than batting and bowling he has a tremendous effect on the field too. He is one player who can enter a team just because of his fielding- a true 3D player. Yesterday he had a telling effect on the match and both his contributions came as a fielder when he ran out Rahul with a direct hit and picked up a low-dipping catch where he had to jump in front to get rid of Chris Gayle. 
3. Shahrukh Khan has made a good name for himself in the domestic circuit and it was expected that he would be picked up by an IPL franchise this year. Punjab Kings picked him and he repaid the faith yesterday by scoring 47 runs in quick time when none of the other batters could reach 20. He is well built and hits the ball cleanly. It will be exciting to see how he performs in future matches. One problem is that he is slotted to bat at number 6 so generally he won’t get many balls to showcase his batting talent. But in whatever opportunities he gets he has to show his skills because I think he is a very special talent.
4. MD. Shami is coming off an injury that kept him out of the field for more than 3 months. He was back to full pace in the first match itself and he started hitting good line and length from the word go too. Yesterday was a challenge because Punjab Kings had only 106 to defend. To his credit, he didn’t give any freebies but wickets eluded him in the first spell. In the final spell, he came back and picked up Raina and Rayudu of successive deliveries to give hope to Punjab though that didn’t last long. Shami’s personal performance of 2/21 was good and it’s great to see him back in full fitness.
5. Moeen Ali has been designated to bat at number 3 this year for CSK and he seems to be enjoying the spot. He has earlier opened for England in ODIs and he is a genuine all-rounder. England is blessed with riches these days which have relegated Moeen to number 7 but he is as good as a batsman than anyone. Yesterday when others struggled to time the ball, Moeen didn’t seem to race any trouble at all. Punjab Kings didn’t give away east runs initially but Moeen broke the shackles and guided CSK towards victory. His positive intent helped CSK in improving its net run rate.

The Misses:

1. Punjab kings must be very concerned with the form of Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran. For two matches in a row, both of them failed. Without these two it would get very difficult for Punjab because they have a longish tail and hence the onus is on the top order to make runs consistently. Last year this led to Rahul curbing his positive intent which led to Punjab frittering good starts. Though the team looks good, without proper balance it might get very difficult for them going forward.
2. Two matches in a row Ruturaj Gaikwad failed. With CSK winning he might get another couple of opportunities but his time is running out. He is a very talented batsman but to be in the eyesight of the selectors he needs to score match-winning runs for his team.

What to look forward to?

I would love to see Ravi Bishnoi in the team. I am not sure why he is not selected but I think he is a match-winner and Punjab kings need him.

Also, it’s time to get Jordan to come into the playing XI. He is a good all-round cricketer and it would bolster their lower-order batting too. Jordan is an excellent death bowler too. Without proper balance, Punjab kings might end up in the mid-table once again.

For CSK it was a great gift for their captain who played his 200th match in this yellow jersey. They have great balance to their side but they have a dodgy top order. Right now things look ok but how this long batting lineup works when put under big pressure would be interesting to see. I still believe they need Imran Tahir in the team.

What do you think? Can CSK go all the way this year?

Do write back with your inputs as we get ready to see if Sunrisers can win their first match of the season when they meet Mumbai Indians later in the day today.

PS. Enjoy the small moments in life. Pick up the phone and talk to your friends. Life should not be lived under the baggage of past regrets but it should be lived with love and happiness!

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