The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) managed to secure their first win of the tournament as they bested the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high-scoring encounter. Robin Uthappa was in tremendous shape while Shivam Dube continued his purple patch in the latest edition of the tournament.
With all said and done, despite crippling the chase early for the Challengers, they couldn’t really capitalize on the opportunity as RCB’s middle-order crafted a solid riposte to rack up an emphatic 193, coming from a stage where the scorecard read 50 for the loss of 4.
Had RCB kept the pressure till the 18th over where Dinesh Karthik ran short of partners, the upshot could have been totally different, opening up the window for CSK’s further humiliation. Despite securing their maiden win, the campaign has been the least convincing for the CSK with a mountain to climb as the marathon league meanders its way through an ever-shifting maze.
In this story, let us take a quick look at the players that CSK have been missing the most as their flailing season is in desperate need of a breather and a messiah who could bail them out of the imminent ordeal.
Deepak Chahar
It is needless to say that Deepak Chahar has been the most missed cricketer for the CSK. Despite news of him returning shortly to the fold, a new back injury has further delayed his return to the side. He is an exceptionally talented asset and can be the batter’s tormentor-in-chief in the early powerplay overs.
He can drift the ball by a good deal and his knack for those early wickets that come on the back of a terrific mix of pace makes him an absolutely unputdownable moniker in the shortest format of the sport. Sadly, for Chennai Super Kings, he is still to return and with the date still being oblivious, it is going to be one long and cold night for the Yellow Army.
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Faf du Plessis
Despite Faf du Plessis still to fire big in the ongoing edition of the tournament as he has gone silent after the first game, his presence on the side was of extreme importance. He played an elemental factor in shaping two trophy hauls for the CSK with his ever-talking bat. He is a dynamic striker of the ball and his shrewd approach makes him a priceless asset to the team.
Not only is he a decent batter but his fielding efforts are equally excellent as he has got the safest pair of arms on the pitch. His electric reflexes and gilt-edged fitness make him the paragon in the shortest format of the game.
Suresh Raina
Despite Shivam Dube’s late brilliance in the last game against the Challengers, the absence of Suresh Raina is simply too massive to be plugged. His presence would assure reliability in the middle that is now absent for the CSK.
Probably on occasions, they will be saved by individual brilliance, however, it doesn’t assure them a comfortable stay in the marathon league that IPL always has been.
