Chennai Super Kings have always been a fan favorite in IPL – making it to the playoffs year after year and even winning the title more than once. However, the team looks like it is on shaky grounds for this season of IPL. So, what is slowing down the team progress for this season? Let’s find out!
#1 Consistently poor form of Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad is having a hard time with his bat recently because he has consistently been dismissed for single digits in the initial matches played by CSK in this IPL. Now, this is disheartening because he was in great form last year. In fact, he is the Orange Cap winner for IPL 2022.
Chennai is still waiting for the batsman to come in form and start hitting the big runs to make the team climb up the points table. His brilliant performance last year made the team retain him this year even before the mega auction.
Now, it is worth remembering that Gaikwad had a difficult start last year as well. In both 2020 and 2021, he had three straight single-digit runs in IPL before his three major knocks of the season came.
#2 The absence of Deepak Chahar in CSK
Chennai spent a mega amount of INR 140 million to get back Chahar at the mega auction in this year’s IPL. However, the injury of the pacer dealt a huge blow to the side. Since the last four years, Chahar has got 58 wickets in 58 matches, and 48 of those wickets have been in powerplay. CSK can really use this ability this year.
Chahar’s unavailability is a reason why Chennai had a dismal run in the initial matches of the season. A team needs big wickets during the powerplay in all formats of the game, be it the IPL or T20 World Cup, and CSK bowlers have failed to deliver on this ground.
#3 Spin is not yet coming to CSK’s rescue
Spin has almost always played a major part in the middle overs of the tournament for all IPL teams, but the spinners of CSK are yet to join the party. The team has players like M Theekshana, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, and Ravindra Jadeja in the spin department. It can be a strong spin attack when the ball turns inwards and outwards with equal flow for the batsmen.
There is one problem with this lineup of bowlers – they are all finger spinners and not wrist spinners. Their only wrist spinner is Prashant Solanki, who lacks any experience in the IPL.
Now, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja are the regular members of the playing squad of CSK. However, they have been less than effective in this IPL schedule so far.
As they are the regular members of the team, both of these players will need to shoulder the added responsibility of controlling the game right in the middle. Failing to address any of the above problems will make CSK continuously struggle in the current edition of the tournament.