As the anticipations of the extravagant Indian Premier League grows with every passing day, the speculations of various permutations and combinations surrounding different teams are doing intense rounds already.
From the count of batters to the number of bowlers in a side, the management is already raking their brains to find the perfect combination that would help them walk miles on the forthcoming waves of uncertainty. As we delve deeper than ever into sporting psychology, there will be loads of mismatches and contrasting opinions.
Hurling towards the beeline, let us quickly take a look at the strongest playing eleven for the Chennai Super Kings.
Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway
Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased exemplary batting in the preceding season, milking the limited opportunities that came in his wee days of the season. He played a few exotic strokes, kept on growing in confidence and led Chennai’s batting order with aplomb as he emerged as the winner of the Orange cap. He is a decent stroke player and most importantly he stitches together an attacking mindset that is extremely crucial to shaping up a T20 unit.
As Faf will not be appearing in the lines of CSK this time, they needed a like for like replacement. In a stealing maneuver, they swooped in Devon Conway. The Kiwi batter can play a decent knock at the top of the pecking order and can prepare a perfect podium for the middle-order to unleash their battery.
Middle-Order: Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja
Moeen Ali’s blitzkrieg was a crucial part of Chennai’s championship run in the precursor edition of the tournament. He was fierce and his strokeplay was a spectacle to behold. He is also an all-rounder and can wring out a couple of important overs in the middle.
Ambati Rayudu’s presence in the middle is extremely important to the side. Given the ageing factor of MS Dhoni, his exploits over the years have been on a receding note. Under such circumstances, Rayudu will have to string the team back together and he is pretty experienced at this craft given the years in his bucket.
Robin Uthappa’s job is simple. He will be playing as a protective shield ahead of Mahi. His role is to up the scoring rate before Dhoni can come out in the middle and play the destructor that he is. He can score 20-30 quick runs which allow the following batters to take some time of their own to get into the groove. He is also an experienced customer and knows what exactly is the need of the hour, irrespective of the situation.
MS Dhoni would be playing the role of a captain whose solitary responsibility will be to usher the team to glory. Needless to say, he is an explosive thinktank who never runs shorts of ideas around him. However, he is still strong enough to belt out at least 25-30 odd runs that would leave any team reeling from the late storm.
Dwayne Bravo has been an asset to the Chennai echelons and being candid, their bowling unit has a lot to thank him for. He is a fine striker of the ball as well with the willow in his hand but as age is slowly catching up with the Caribbean all-rounder, he is focusing more on his ability to rotate his arm a good deal that would eke out a few crucial overs in the middle and also a couple of wickets.
The depth of the Chennai Super Kings batting seems to be a bottomless ocean as it keeps on extending itself. Following Bravo will be one of the most electrifying all-rounders in the world, Ravindra Jadeja. The man is known for his terrific batting flair laced with decent bowling finesse and an electrifying presence in the field. He has a laser-like tip, an unrivaled bout of agility and most importantly, Jadeja thrives under pressure.
Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Adam Milne, KM Asif
Deepak Chahar is a boiling moniker in the ranks of Indian cricket currently. He has produced searing knocks with the bat and that too against the fearsome likes of the Proteas fast bowlers. He is also a fine bowler and if he gets going early in the innings with the cherry in his arm, God bless those who bats.
Adam Milne is an exciting pick for the Yellow army given the brutal pace that the Kiwi bowler is able to conjure. He can also move around the ball decently and can be a thorn in the flesh of his opposition considering the knack for wickets that this expressman possesses.
KM Asif is a medium-fast bowler and will be coming in handy considering the surfaces of Mumbai and Pune. Towards the latter half of the innings, the ball starts getting stuck to the surface and in such conditions playing slow bowling is a herculean challenge. KM Asif can mix his pace nicely and can conjure significant damage as soon as the surface starts producing its magic.
