3 Changes Chennai Super Kings need to make: The Sportsrush present before you three changes for defending champions CSK.
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What has begun as a perfect campaign for the Chennai Super Kings has started waning and going on a downward spiral fast. With 5 defeats in their previous 7 matches, the weaknesses in the franchisee have been exposed royally.
Stunned by the Mumbai Indians, everything that is extensively abysmal with the defending champions was brought to the fore yet again. Losing for the third consecutive time against the Indians, the fourth straight time in their own stadium, CSK slumped to a shambolic defeat against MI. It’s left them with the need to play Qualifier 2 now, a tricky proposition they’ll find to navigate given the inclement form they’ve hit at just the wrong time.
Ahead of the all important encounter for the franchisee, they have plenty of predicaments which they need to iron out. The team combination is no longer a seamless blend of batting and bowling, the depth in the batting rank looks a false one and a paper thin bowling line-up is finally biting them in the back.
As they are left picking up the pieces of an abject second half, we take a look at the 3 things they need to change if they are to have any chance of making it through to the final of IPL 2019.
3 Changes Chennai Super Kings need to make
Drop Shane Watson
One innings of note in 15 matches and it’s been a treacherous bit of form that Shane Watson has found himself in. He was undoubtedly one of the main reasons that CSK performed so finely in IPL 2018, coming up with big knocks time and time again.
ALSO READ: MS Dhoni comments on losing Qualifier 1 vs Mumbai Indians
However, as good as his previous tournament was, this one has been equally in tatters. He’s found it a travesty to rotate the strike, forget scoring the boundaries.
While his difficulties against spin were already well known, he’s struggled to even get under the pacers, losing his wicket to soft dismissals with nobody to blame but himself contentious showing this season.
What has been a massive setback to the franchisee is the huge faith they’ve accorded in him throughout the season. He’s not been dropped for a single match, leaving Faf du Plessis to do the majority of the scoring for the side in the opening partnership and rescue them after Watson departs early.
Qualifier 2 is the time to drop him, promote Murali Vijay to the opening slot and bring in Dhruv Shorey in the middle-order.
Change in MS Dhoni’a approach
The last two matches have seen Dhoni, the captain surprisingly get it all wrong with his decision making. Contentious decisions of a humongous magnitude have left the side chasing matches, finding themselves way behind the task.
Despite Harbhajan Singh going for 44 runs from his 3 overs in the powerplay, Dhoni kept persisting with him against the Kings XI Punjab. The same happened with Deepak Chahar against the Mumbai Indians with CSK’s captain refusing to show flexibility and revert from the original game-plan.
Especially against the Indians in qualifier 1, Dhoni looked completely out of depth. On a surface where spin was reaping huge dividends, he bowled Bravo in the middle period for way too long, refusing to give Jadeja and Tahir a spell in unison in the middle. They’ve been perplexed moves, one that have left the Super Kings dwindling and crumbling with just the 2 wins from 7.
Ahead of the second qualifier, the CSK team management and captain need to sit down and ponder upon new strategies to implement. They can’t keep relying on one trick to serve them fruitfully each time around and come what could turn out to be their final match of the season, the need for devising new ideas is now.
New Pace Options
Refusing to divulge in specialist front line pacers during the auction window has been something that has turned out to be a misdemeanour for CSK. While Deepak Chahar has been more than good for them, he’s lacked company at the other end, someone who can keep maintaining the pressure with wicket to wicket, ripping bowling.
What has left us surprised is CSK’s persistent rigidness and refusal to try out anyone else as well. With Shardul Thakur clearly not cut out and Bravo’s slower one no longer effective, they need to bring in either Mohit Sharma or Scott Kuggeleijn into the side at the expense of Harbhajan Singh or Dwayne Bravo.
Spin alone can’t win you wickets and an exceptional bowler is needed to rile up batsmen and leave them cramped for room.
