There has been a lot of buzz around the absence of CSK’s most cherished all-rounder Suresh Raina of late. His unprecedented retraction from the 2020 IPL season has left many fans with qualms about who can bear the onus of this void. Raina undoubtedly played a massive role in the team’s success through its journey in the playoffs. Boasting impressive records of a batting average of 33.4, overall strike rate of 137.11, an economy rate of 7.39 and his remarkable ability to clear boundaries, he is a stellar team member who shall be missed this year. The big question is, who will put on his gloves? While it may seem appalling that no single player can replicate his role there is some light at the end of the tunnel. CSK has players with a diverse skillset that will cohesively bridge the apparent disparity. So, who are these potential harbingers of victory in this season?
Raina’s absence will result in reshuffling within the team’s batting order. Notice how he, despite being the leading run-scorer, had a decline in the 2019 IPL season. Nevertheless, it leaves a gap of 250+ runs to be scored.
With Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis opening the innings, the probable candidate for his spot at 3 would be Ambati Rayudu. However, it is interesting to consider that former Kings XI Punjab player who shall be continuing the second year of his return to CSK this year is also a contender for Faf’s position. This might lead to compromising on Kedar Jadhav or du Plessis from the team depending on the captain’s call. Leaving Jadhav of the equation will deprive the team of an off spinners to turn the ball in since Harbhajan isn’t playing. Yet, the requirement of a player who can score 25–30 runs rotating quick strike and scoring boundaries is compelling in a limited over match.
Although in the earlier days, the southpaw did manage to break partnerships in the few overs that he bowled, it doesn’t leave the team with a dearth of bowlers. The pitches in UAE support spin and the ball turns more as the tournament progresses. CSK has an incredible set of spinners on its roster which includes Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla, part timer Kedar Kadhav, as well as left-arm spinners Jadeja and Santner. Jadeja could be the prospective X-factor for the team; a prized all-rounder who has done justice to his role as a batsman, bowler and fielder.
There isn’t a conversation about Chinna Thala without a mention of his extraordinary fielding and agility. But there is more to him than merely this. One can’t help but observe how effective he is at running between the wickets. Dhoni and Raina were the formidable pair who ran that extra mile to create runs despite being on a time crunch. But who will make up for his adept athleticism to bolster the team other than just Dhoni?
See how it is evident that Rayudu does extremely well averaging around 67 runs of every 100 balls faced excluding boundaries, by running between the wickets. This is almost as good as Raina’s average. Vijay however has to improve his running between the wickets. He scores around 59 runs in 100 balls by running, which means his dot ball percentage is more which can’t be afforded in T20.
Even though Rayudu might be more consistent and reliable than Vijay as a batsman, his opening ability gives Dhoni reason to experiment his fourth foreigner option. The 2019 campaign saw CSK struggling in the power-play scoring over 50 runs only twice in the league games. Since boundaries are paramount to a limited over game, Vijay’s superior ability to score boundaries over Rayudu is a very enticing chance for CSK to exert its power-play.
On that note the probable XI for the team would be:
- Shane Watson
- Faf du Plessis /Murali Vijay
- Ambati Rayudu
- Mahendra Singh
- Kedar Jadhav
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Dwayne Bravo
- ImranTahir
- Shardul Thakur/Lungi Ngidi
- Deepak Chahar
- Piyush Chawla
So, CSK fans get ready to roar for the army of Lions. #bleedyellow
