CLT20 2014: Chennai Super Kings vs Perth Scorchers, Match 15 Preview

By Nishad Pai Vaidya

Sep 26, 2014

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Chennai Super Kings move into their last game of the group stage of the Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 needing a win to have a very good chance of getting through to the semi-finals. With one game washed out, Chennai have one victory and one defeat and are currently placed second on the table. Perth Scorchers and Lahore Lions have a game in hand each and can push Chennai for semi-final spots. But, Chennai’s contest against Perth is most crucial for both sides as it could have implications on the group.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was witness to a wash-out between Chennai and Lahore. And, there is a threat of rain as we have this game at the same venue. The forecast suggests there is a chance of rain, but it may not be as bad as it was on Thursday. Thus, we can hope for a good game for this contest, so that we have a clear picture ahead of the other games. Chennai would certainly hope it is a full game.

Chennai had beaten Dolphin in a high scoring game last week and their batting is in fantastic touch. Suresh Raina leads the lot batting at No 3 and is one man who changes games for them. And, their opening combination is dangerous in Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith. With Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja forming the middle-order, this batting side is full of firepower.

The bowling is led by the spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who would want to tie down the Perth line-up, which was troubled by the Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinners. Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey will bowl seam up and look to get breakthroughs early on. It is a well-balanced team and has the goods to go all the way.

Perth have some good players in their ranks. Adam Voges and Craig Simmons form a good opening combination. Mitchell Marsh is one batsman who can be attacking and add punch to the line-up. There are other youngsters in Sam Whiteman, Ashton Agar and Ashton Turner. Perth also have a decent bowling line-up with Joel Paris, Yasir Arafat, Nathan Coulter-Nile among others.

One may say that Chennai have a good chance in this game, but Perth have been the most consistent team in the Big Bash League (BBL) and have appeared in the last three CLT20s. It is time they get their act together and make a bigger mark on the tournament.

Squads:

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Mithun Manhas, Pawan Negi Mohit Sharma, John Hastings, Samuel Badree.

Perth Scorchers: Adam Voges (c), Cameron Bancroft (wk), Brad Hogg, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Craig Simmons, Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Yasir Arafat, Sam Whiteman (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Joel Paris, Michael Beer, Simon Mackin

Time: 14:30 GMT | 20:00 local

Complete coverage of Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 here

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_44)