Chennai Super Kings have shown that they are ultimate franchise in the IPL under the leadership of MS Dhoni by winning the title for the fourth time.
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When it comes to a team defying expectations in the IPL, no one does it better than MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. In a format where youth is preferred over experience, Chennai Super Kings and their band of ‘Dad’s Army’ continue to put the youngsters in their place. It takes exceptional leadership to ensure that a team does well with the resources available and MS Dhoni is proof of that. The last two IPL titles have come amidst tremendous challenges in the backdrop.
In IPL 2018, Chennai Super Kings were coming back after a two-year ban. But, they put in a performance for the ages to win the title in grand style. A different situation petered out in IPL 2021. During the 2020 edition, the team was ravaged by the coronavirus and injuries. For the first time in their history, Chennai Super Kings failed to reach the playoff stages. The reliance on the old players drew plenty of flak. Yet, Chennai Super Kings had firm belief. They defied the expectations and won the IPL 2021 title in grand style.
Heading into IPL 2022, Chennai Super Kings have made some good buys in the mega-auction. But, an injury to a certain player might derail their plans for a repeat of 2021.
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Not surprisingly, it seemed that Chennai Super Kings did not change much of the core squad that had given them success in the past. The likes of Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, and Robin Uthappa were all bought back by the Chennai Super Kings. But, they broke the bank for Deepak Chahar, taking him for Rs 14 crore. For the first time in their history, Chennai Super Kings had paid a particular player over Rs 10 crore.
Prior to the auction, they had retained MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the side. In the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Chennai Super Kings once again bought some smart buys. By acquiring Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, and Devon Conway for a decent amount, Chennai Super Kings ensured that all bases were covered. They did raise some eyebrows by not picking Suresh Raina or going hard at Faf du Plessis. But, Chennai Super Kings have been the ultimate masters of smart buys and they proved it yet again in 2022.
Players Retained: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali
Players bought in IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, Shivam Dube, Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Devon Conway, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Subhranshu Senapati, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, K.Bhagath Varma, C.Hari Nishaanth, N. Jagadeesan, K.M. Asif, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh.
With the opening slot requiring a back-up partner for Ruturaj Gaikwad, the likes of Robin Uthappa or Devon Conway assume tremendous importance. The left-right combination might force MS Dhoni to pick Conway to partner Ruturaj Gaikwad. In the middle order, Chennai Super Kings will be missing Raina’s solidity. This is where Ambati Rayudu will be the key. The lower middle order is powerful thanks to the likes of Bravo, Jadeja and Shivam Dube.
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In the bowling front, the potential absence of Deepak Chahar for the majority of the tournament could derail their plans. In Chahar’s absence, CSK might give KM Asif an extended run. Milne, Dwaine Pretorius and Maheesh Theekshana give the side ample variety. The spin bowling department will now be handled totally by Moeen and Jadeja.
They have covered all their bases with the right person for the right job. The batting in particular is flexible. With Ruturaj fixed at the top, the likes of Moeen, Conway, Rayudu can shore up the batting by batting in all positions. The lower order is strong, in particular Jadeja, Bravo, and Shivam Dube. The bowling has all bases covered, with Chris Jordan, Deepak Chahar, and either of Milne or Pretorius to provide the fast bowling impetus.
The injury to Deepak Chahar might upset their plans to strike early. In IPL 2021, it was Chahar’s early strikes that gave Chennai Super Kings the advantage. But, with reports that Chahar might be out for over four weeks might not give Chennai Super Kings many options. In that case, pace bowling is lacking experience. Jordan has been inconsistent in the death overs and that might hurt CSK. The bench strength of CSK has also not had much exposure in the middle.
With Chahar potentially out for a long time, the likes of KM Asif might get an extended run. Shivam Dube can play the role that Sam Curran did in IPL 2020. Dube at the lower-middle order can get an extended run, unlike his previous stints with Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Read More: Chennai Super Kings Path to the IPL 2021 Final
MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Sam Curran, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Ambati Rayudu, Josh Hazlewood, Robin Uthappa, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Narayan Jagadeesan, R Sai Kishore, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Krishnappa Gowtham, Moeen Ali, Cheteshwar Pujara, K Bhagwath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth, M Harishankar Reddy
It was a fairytale run for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021. After starting poorly with a seven-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings won five consecutive games. They defeated Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The win against RCB saw Ravindra Jadeja smash 37 runs in one over bowled by Harshal Patel and he ended up with three wickets.
However, their momentum was stalled when Mumbai Indians chased down over 200 in Delhi. When the coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be suspended, the UAE became the new tournament host in September. Chennai Super Kings maintained the momentum and won four consecutive games, including taking revenge on Mumbai Indians. As the tournament neared the playoff stages, Chennai Super Kings lost three consecutive games to Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals. But, it was enough for them to finish in the top two.
In the first qualifier, Chennai Super Kings overcame their losing streak against Delhi Capitals to win by four wickets and reach the final. In the summit clash, Faf du Plessis blasted 86 and he was helped by vital cameos from Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali. Shardul Thakur took three wickets as Chennai Super Kings registered a 27-run win to win the IPL title for the fourth time.
