Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost their fifth match of the latest IPL campaign and the performances that have been up for grabs are woefully disjointed, to say the least. Somehow it feels that CSK has got it all wrong and there is absolutely nothing that the franchise does will be making sense.
In situations like these, it is important for a franchise to make a handful of bold decisions that may not be pleasant to everyone but will at least get the job done. There are still eight matches to go in the campaign for the CSK and even though it looks next to impossible, still a late lunge can salvage some pride for them.
The Knights managed to turn around a similar slump in the precursor edition of the tournament as they surged from the bottom half to the finals. The most important aspect of this turnaround was that they were able to introduce a man called Venkatesh Iyer.
Similarly, let us take a look at what can be the possible changes that CSK can bring to salvage their flailing campaign.
Openers: Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad
Devon Conway may have failed in the opening two games but maybe a bit of guidance and some time in the middle can bring out the best in him. He may not be a Faf but he definitely has a decent arsenal of his own that can produce a much-needed blitzkrieg in the powerplay. Ruturaj Gaikwad finally found his stride against the Gujarat Titans and will be hoping to continue with the showdowns that saw him bagging the Orange Cap in the opening edition of the tournament.
Middle order: Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Narayan Jagadeesan, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja
Robin Uthappa has been in decent touch but he somehow seems much more confident at the number three position that takes out the initial sting of the early drift that the surfaces have produced so far.
Ambati Rayudu is a seasoned campaigner and is more importantly much more consistent in his approach. More than mindless striking, he is all about calculated aggression which is an important aspect in the middle of the innings.
Despite the towering moniker that MS Dhoni is, one needs to understand that he is beyond 40 now and expecting consistent contributions from the man who has squeezed his heart out for this franchise is nothing but tomfoolery. Narayan Jagadeesan may be an opening batter but he has a few decent strokes in him that can make him a name for the future. He is also a decent wicket-keeper which can be a handsome bonus for the Super Kings after Dhoni calls it a day.
Shivam Dube has shown a decent stint in this year’s IPL and he has so far looked comfortable in striking big. He can play the perfect finishing partner for CSK a factor that somehow now seems grim with Dhoni struggling more than often.
Ravindra Jadeja is undoubtedly one of the most electric all-rounders in the world at the moment and he will be the best man for the job of finishing as he can bring out the big guns at the tail end of the innings and he is also fearless to strike, irrespective of the bowlers at the other end.
Bowlers: Dwayne Bravo, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner
Dwayne Bravo can chip in with a handful of crucial runs towards the tail-end of the innings. Even though it may feel that he is a bit too old to strike as ferociously as he would in the earlier days but his bowling has been the best factor for the CSK. He would continue to be a major threat as his variety is simply just two overwhelming to be refuted.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar is a decent bowling all-rounder. With Simarjeet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary leaking too many runs, it definitely doesn’t hurt to test the youngster with a decent amount of support given his towering height, his fiery pace and a handful of towering strikes at the end, that also enhances the depth of CSK batting.
Chris Jordan has been a complete waste of money as he has been battered left and right. This is exactly where Adam Milne comes into the picture with a good brand of seam movement that is completely missing from Jordan’s arsenal. Maybe he has been smashed for a handful of runs in the earlier games, but Milne can still be a very good bowler given his preceding reputation in the international arcade.
Mitch Santner can be an abled partner to Ravindra Jadeja in the spinning department. Somehow, CSK’s spinning clique has been pretty inconsistent given the occasional bursts of brilliance from Maheesh Theekshana. However, Mitchell Santner has this magical economy rate in the IPL and yet Chennai believes he is not the right man for the job. The runs leaked by the CSK in the second half of the game have been a major cause of their downfall. This is exactly where Mitch Santner can be an absolute game-changer.
