By Arvind Subramanian
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the reigning champions of Indian Premier League (IPL), is owned by a man who heads the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This has led to N Srinivasan, the man in question, being at the receiving end of much criticism from various fraternities over the conflict of interest.
But if there is one thing that Srinivasan cannot be questioned it is ability to run CSK as the most successful franchisee one in IPL. CSK were runners-up in first edition and came third in the second edition. Since then CSK triumphed in successive tournaments. Each time, they looked down and out before fighting their way to the top. They sneaked into the knock-outs and once there, they were champion material. The side was formed with a clear head. They had a nucleus of players around which the side was built. CSK is the most bounded of among all IPL sides.
The team is led by a clear-headed MS Dhoni. His captaincy needs no introduction. He had steered Team India to World Cup wins in T20 and ODIs and has led the side to No 1 ranking in Tests. His record with the franchisee includes two IPL wins and a Champions League title. Apart from being a smart skipper, Dhoni is among the best ‘keeper in cricket right now and is considered by many to be one of the best finishers in limited-over cricket. Being a cool customer even in the most demanding of situations, his attitude has rubbed onto the team. No wonder they manage to score high points on ‘Fair Play’ table.
The side is not the best on paper. But in the field they are totally different especially at their den, Chepauk, and in knock-out matches. The side is chosen with the home conditions in the mind and has a perfect blend of youth and experience. The Tamil Nadu flavour is a big factor and three of the key players – Murali Vijay, Ravichandra Ashwin and Subramaniam Badrinath - hail from Chennai. The squad may not have many genuine bowlers, but the immense strength of all-rounders in the team is unmatched in IPL.
Opener Murali Vijay is one of the IPL success stories. He has failed to hold on to his place in the national team, but in IPL, he is a different proposition. He has altered his game to suit the needs of the side and is a good striker of the ball. In Indian conditions, his form will be the key.
With him at the helm is Mike Hussey. The Aussie does not an opener, but is doing a good job at that position for CSK. Raina walks in at one drop. He can play both the waiting game and the big-hitter’s role effectively. He may have been tested abroad, but Raina is dangerous in home conditions.
At No 4,Badrinath walks in. Unlucky to miss out a place in Test squad, Badri is among the prolific scorers in domestic cricket and he balances the hitters of the side with his orthodox game. When the side is under stress, expect Badri to accumulate and lead the game.
Dhoni follows Badri in the order. The captain can change the match in few balls. He has been the backbone of batting and can win matches from unexpected situations. All-rounders like Scott Styris, Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel all make the batting go deep. The latest addition is Ravindra Jadeja - another utility player.
The backup players include Anirudha Srikkanth who can hit long, talented Abhinav Mukund, in-form Vasudevadas and Australia’s Bailey. ICL recruit Ganapathy Vignesh is a slogger. Expect him to make it count if he gets a chance. Even their standby ‘keeper Wriddhiman Saha, Ashwin and Nuwan Kulasekara can slog out.
The strength of the side is the presence of too many all-rounders. Albie Morkel has been exceptional performer for Chennai over the years opening the bowling and with his lower middle-order slogs.
Dwayne Bravo is another dual performer with both bat and ball. Styris adds to the variety with his ability to play big innings and chip in a few overs.
Jadeja can bowl his spell and cart a few boundaries. Raina has been judiciously used with the ball by Dhoni and Ashwin can hit few boundaries. Faf de Plessis is a potential star in making for South Africa and he adds depth. Joginder Sharma, famous for his last over in successful 2007 T20 World Cup is also with Chennai. In all they have the best all-round talent in IPL.
Spin bowling has been their strength. Ashwin’s spells in powerplays against powerful hitters will go down the folklore of IPL. He is the best spinner in India at the moment. To aid him, Chennai has Jadeja with useful slow left-arm variants and Suraj Randiv, the off-spinner with much potential. Shadab Jakathi has made name for himself in IPL with his accurate bowling and is probably one Goa player to make the state proud.
Pace bowling has always been the weakest link of Chennai. But smart pickings have strengthened the side along with the abundant pace bowling all rounders. Doug Bollinger is all but a Chennaite and he has been the vital cog in Chennai’s wins in last two seasons. He will be partnered by his team mate Ben Hilfenhaus who made life hard for India down under recently. Kulasekara is a branded ODI specialist and he has a key role to play in Chennai’s campaign. Albie Morkel will open the bowling. He might be expensive but chips in with useful wickets. Bravo and Styris add to the medium pace bowling options. Indian pacers have been a problem for Chennai perennially. Sudeep Tyagi and Yo Mahesh have a chance to prove it otherwise this time.
Summing up, with a balanced batting line up that bat deep and blessed with hitters, accumulators and enforcers, Chennai will create trouble for the opponent bowlers. Their spin attack is known to squeeze the opposition and check the flow of runs while Ashwin attacks with the ball. Pace bowling is not the best in competition but has been more than adequate for winning matches. Ground fielding has been a revelation so far. Above all, Dhoni’s captaincy makes them a Champion material and one may not be surprised with a hatrick of win this season. Remember that they will get to play the knock outs at their den if they make it and they have not lost at home in the recent times in IPL. Powerful batting, excellent spinners, adequate pace attack, Dhoni’s smart captaincy combined with almost unbeatable home record backed by loyal supporters in the stands makes it too hard to right Chennai off. Hat-trick of wins can be on cards this time too provided they play to their potential.
Best XI : 1. Murali Vijay, 2. Mike Hussey, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Subramaniam Badrinath, 5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 6. Dwayne Bravo, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Albie Morkel, 9. Ravichandran Ashwin, 10. Nuwan Kulasekara, 11. Shadab Jakati.
(Dr Arvind Subramanian is a Chennai-based dental surgeon presently pursuing higher studies in his field. He is also a classical dancer, philanthropist, orator and a writer)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the reigning champions of Indian Premier League (IPL), is owned by a man who heads the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This has led to N Srinivasan, the man in question, being at the receiving end of much criticism from various fraternities over the conflict of interest.
But if there is one thing that Srinivasan cannot be questioned it is ability to run CSK as the most successful franchisee one in IPL. CSK were runners-up in first edition and came third in the second edition. Since then CSK triumphed in successive tournaments. Each time, they looked down and out before fighting their way to the top. They sneaked into the knock-outs and once there, they were champion material. The side was formed with a clear head. They had a nucleus of players around which the side was built. CSK is the most bounded of among all IPL sides.
The team is led by a clear-headed MS Dhoni. His captaincy needs no introduction. He had steered Team India to World Cup wins in T20 and ODIs and has led the side to No 1 ranking in Tests. His record with the franchisee includes two IPL wins and a Champions League title. Apart from being a smart skipper, Dhoni is among the best ‘keeper in cricket right now and is considered by many to be one of the best finishers in limited-over cricket. Being a cool customer even in the most demanding of situations, his attitude has rubbed onto the team. No wonder they manage to score high points on ‘Fair Play’ table.
The side is not the best on paper. But in the field they are totally different especially at their den, Chepauk, and in knock-out matches. The side is chosen with the home conditions in the mind and has a perfect blend of youth and experience. The Tamil Nadu flavour is a big factor and three of the key players – Murali Vijay, Ravichandra Ashwin and Subramaniam Badrinath - hail from Chennai. The squad may not have many genuine bowlers, but the immense strength of all-rounders in the team is unmatched in IPL.
Opener Murali Vijay is one of the IPL success stories. He has failed to hold on to his place in the national team, but in IPL, he is a different proposition. He has altered his game to suit the needs of the side and is a good striker of the ball. In Indian conditions, his form will be the key.
With him at the helm is Mike Hussey. The Aussie does not an opener, but is doing a good job at that position for CSK. Raina walks in at one drop. He can play both the waiting game and the big-hitter’s role effectively. He may have been tested abroad, but Raina is dangerous in home conditions.
At No 4,Badrinath walks in. Unlucky to miss out a place in Test squad, Badri is among the prolific scorers in domestic cricket and he balances the hitters of the side with his orthodox game. When the side is under stress, expect Badri to accumulate and lead the game.
Dhoni follows Badri in the order. The captain can change the match in few balls. He has been the backbone of batting and can win matches from unexpected situations. All-rounders like Scott Styris, Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel all make the batting go deep. The latest addition is Ravindra Jadeja - another utility player.
The backup players include Anirudha Srikkanth who can hit long, talented Abhinav Mukund, in-form Vasudevadas and Australia’s Bailey. ICL recruit Ganapathy Vignesh is a slogger. Expect him to make it count if he gets a chance. Even their standby ‘keeper Wriddhiman Saha, Ashwin and Nuwan Kulasekara can slog out.
The strength of the side is the presence of too many all-rounders. Albie Morkel has been exceptional performer for Chennai over the years opening the bowling and with his lower middle-order slogs.
Dwayne Bravo is another dual performer with both bat and ball. Styris adds to the variety with his ability to play big innings and chip in a few overs.
Jadeja can bowl his spell and cart a few boundaries. Raina has been judiciously used with the ball by Dhoni and Ashwin can hit few boundaries. Faf de Plessis is a potential star in making for South Africa and he adds depth. Joginder Sharma, famous for his last over in successful 2007 T20 World Cup is also with Chennai. In all they have the best all-round talent in IPL.
Spin bowling has been their strength. Ashwin’s spells in powerplays against powerful hitters will go down the folklore of IPL. He is the best spinner in India at the moment. To aid him, Chennai has Jadeja with useful slow left-arm variants and Suraj Randiv, the off-spinner with much potential. Shadab Jakathi has made name for himself in IPL with his accurate bowling and is probably one Goa player to make the state proud.
Pace bowling has always been the weakest link of Chennai. But smart pickings have strengthened the side along with the abundant pace bowling all rounders. Doug Bollinger is all but a Chennaite and he has been the vital cog in Chennai’s wins in last two seasons. He will be partnered by his team mate Ben Hilfenhaus who made life hard for India down under recently. Kulasekara is a branded ODI specialist and he has a key role to play in Chennai’s campaign. Albie Morkel will open the bowling. He might be expensive but chips in with useful wickets. Bravo and Styris add to the medium pace bowling options. Indian pacers have been a problem for Chennai perennially. Sudeep Tyagi and Yo Mahesh have a chance to prove it otherwise this time.
Summing up, with a balanced batting line up that bat deep and blessed with hitters, accumulators and enforcers, Chennai will create trouble for the opponent bowlers. Their spin attack is known to squeeze the opposition and check the flow of runs while Ashwin attacks with the ball. Pace bowling is not the best in competition but has been more than adequate for winning matches. Ground fielding has been a revelation so far. Above all, Dhoni’s captaincy makes them a Champion material and one may not be surprised with a hatrick of win this season. Remember that they will get to play the knock outs at their den if they make it and they have not lost at home in the recent times in IPL. Powerful batting, excellent spinners, adequate pace attack, Dhoni’s smart captaincy combined with almost unbeatable home record backed by loyal supporters in the stands makes it too hard to right Chennai off. Hat-trick of wins can be on cards this time too provided they play to their potential.
Best XI : 1. Murali Vijay, 2. Mike Hussey, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Subramaniam Badrinath, 5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 6. Dwayne Bravo, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Albie Morkel, 9. Ravichandran Ashwin, 10. Nuwan Kulasekara, 11. Shadab Jakati.
(Dr Arvind Subramanian is a Chennai-based dental surgeon presently pursuing higher studies in his field. He is also a classical dancer, philanthropist, orator and a writer)
