Sourav SinhaChennai Superkings reclaims top spot

29April

Chennai Superkings reclaims top spot

Towards the fag end of IPL 2020, Chennai Superkings got their act together winning the last 3 matches. It was too late in the tournament but they derailed the party for KKR and Punjab Kings. One significant factor that played out in those 3 matches was the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf Du Plessis. When the tournament started this year, I was looking forward to seeing how Ruturaj performs this year. There were expectations and I guess that put him under a bit of pressure initially with 3 continuous failures. It was great to see though, that CSK kept backing him and now the results are coming consistently.

Another day, another match, change of venue but the run machine of both Faf Du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad continued unabated. When Kane Williamson hit those lusty blows in the end taking Sunrisers to 171, I felt we will have another close match. But, how wrong was I as CSK bossed the chase and at one point looked like finishing the match with all wickets in hand. Rashid Khan picked up a few wickets at the end to create a flutter but finally, CSK won the match easily to reach the top of the table.

So what were the hits and misses from yesterday’s encounter in Delhi?

The Hits:

Faf Du Plessis was the consistent performer for CSK in UAE last year. Though CSK didn’t have a good time, Faf didn’t let them down. It has been no different this year too and other than the first match he has scored consistently. With three fifties already in his kitty, he is leading the race for the orange cap. CSK will hope that he continues with this good form because with him in good touch the work gets that much easier for the team down the order. In Ruturaj he has got an able partner. It was their second 100 run partnership yesterday and the signs are ominous for the other teams. Yesterday it was Ruturaj who was more aggressive of the two and when that happens the work for Faf gets that much easier. Faf Du Plessis can play long innings and if he can stay till the end, CSK will chase down any totals.

Dropping Manish Pandey didn’t work for Sunrisers Hyderabad and he was back in the playing XI yesterday. With Kane in the playing XI, it would make sense to play Manish in number 4 then his current slot of number 3. Yesterday it was Kane who gave the final touch to the Sunrisers’ innings and without him, they would have struggled to reach 160. Manish showed that he is in form it’s up to the team management how they use him properly. Manish is an experienced cricketer and if Sunrisers Hyderabad has to progress further in IPL 2021, he needs to play a stellar role in it.

The Misses:

Shardul Thakur made a name for himself by being a wicket-taker. He goes for runs most of the time but he takes a bag full of wickets too. This IPL season has been the opposite. He is going for runs and he not able to pick up wickets too. He was the weakest clog in CSK’s wheel yesterday and he got a pasting from Kane Williamson in the end. Right now CSK is winning so he might not come under scrutiny but I am very concerned with the form of 2 of our Brisbane heroes, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur because they are supposed to play important roles in the upcoming T20 World Cup. I hope Shardul Thakur gets his act together soon. He is a very competitive cricketer and he knows how to come back from tough situations. Here’s hoping for a grand comeback for Thakur Saab.

David Warner scored another 50 in IPL cricket. No one has scored more half-centuries than David Warner in IPL history. So scoring a 50 is like a habit for this Australian opener and Sunrisers’ captain. But the way he scored those runs yesterday made a lot of difference. He was unable to time the ball and hardly got any power behind his strokes. 57 runs off 55 balls is not something anyone expects from Warner and he admitted that candidly after the match. If SRH needs to turn around this campaign, Warner needs to play freely at the top.

With Natarajan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar sitting out due to injuries, there is too much pressure on Rashid Khan. Cricket is a team sport and one bowler can’t win you matches. He did pick up 3 wickets but the other bowlers struggled to make an impact. Sunrisers Hyderabad needs to look at their balance. After all, right now they are suffering because they are unable to blend young with the old properly.

What to look forward to?

CSK looks like a well-oiled machine and I do not foresee any changes going forward. MS Dhoni never liked chopping and changing much and I will not be surprised if this same XI continues playing right through. With Ngidi they have a good pace bowler too. They have great balance in the side with Shardul Thakur coming in at number 9 and 7 bowling options.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad they have reached a stage from where they need to win a few matches consistently. For that to happen they need to make some changes in their lineup. Here is a suggestion which they can look into going forward.

Suggested Playing XI: David Warner, Priyam Garg, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jhadav, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed

This lineup ensures more balance and gets some experience in the bowling lineup. I am suggesting Kedar Jhadav keep wickets. I am not sure what’s the injury status of Bhubaneshwar Kumar and I think his availability is crucial for Sunrisers Hyderabad. A competitive Sunrisers Hyderabad will be great for IPL in the next few weeks.