3 challenges for Ravindra Jadeja as new CSK captain for IPL 2022
Ravindra Jadeja's star status at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got further embellished as he was appointed as the team's captain on Thursday. Taking over from storied skipper MS Dhoni, the 33-year-old will lead the team for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that starts on the 26th of March.
While captaining such a successful franchise is always a matter of pride for a player, Jadeja will have to get a grip of the responsibilities involved rather quickly. The Saurashtra all-rounder has never led CSK and has limited captaincy experience to apply at the IPL level. Here are three challenges the new CSK skipper will face during the course of IPL 2022.
#3 Shepherding the CSK bowling attack in IPL 2022
CSK enters the new IPL season without Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar, and although the latter is set to join the team at a later stage, the void will be felt by the captain. Barring Jadeja and Moeen Ali, the southern franchise's bowling attack looks completely different from last season's, and will rely heavily on how their overseas guns fire.
MS Dhoni built a reputation for getting the best out of his bowlers, and is credited with the astronomical rise of players like R Ashwin, Chahar and Mohit Sharma. In several editions of the IPL, Dhoni has managed to draw experience from senior players and potential from youngsters to get the team to perform better than it looks on paper. It remains to be seen whether Jadeja can use the skillsets of CSK's new-look bowling attack as efficiently as his predecessor.
#2 Managing squad resources and giving players fair opportunities
Given the inexperience of CSK's Indian fast bowlers, and the fitness concerns surrounding some of their ageing players in the first eleven, a lot seems to depend on the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen and Jadeja himself. However, the way the new captain manages the workload of key players will determine CSK's success in the tournament.
While it could be tempting to place the important overs in the hands of the overseas specialists, CSK needs to build a resilient squad for the future. The franchise's phenomenal success over the years has been linked to the way it backs its players, and despite issues of availability, Jadeja needs to trust less proven players to deliver the goods in IPL 2022.
#1 Handling the precarious MS Dhoni situation
MS Dhoni's sudden handover of the captaincy - or at least, sudden to the outside world - has left Jadeja in a massive dilemma. Had the legendary wicketkeeper-batter remained the captain, his place in the eleven and his role would not be anyone else's concern but his own.
However, if Dhoni's batting lets the team down like it did during IPL 2021, Jadeja will face a conundrum regarding the best XI for CSK's future. While Dhoni's guidance and experience will be invaluable for the side, CSK do lose an opportunity to groom another wicketkeeper like N Jagadeesan.
Even if Dhoni makes CSK's first XI, Jadeja will have to decide where to play the former captain. Given Dhoni's star status, expect Jadeja to be forced to make a very difficult decision that balances the team's interests and those of the legendary former skipper.