3 concerns that remain for CSK despite win vs MI in IPL 2024
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) noted a 20-run victory against their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The Super Kings overcame a spirited century from Rohit Sharma to clinch a comfortable victory in the end.
Winning the toss, the MI skipper Hardik Pandya send the visitors to bat first. Ruturaj Gaikwad elevated Ajinkya Rahane to the opening spot but the ploy didn't work. It was Ruturaj coming in at No. 3 who steadied the ship with Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube. He stitched together a 90-run partnership with Dube.
The MI bowlers came back strongly towards the end but a blistering cameo from MS Dhoni took CSK over the 200-run mark. He blasted Hardik Pandya for three consecutive sixes to send the Wankhede crowd into delirium.
In reply, MI was up with the required rate till the 14th over. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan provided a flying start, racing off to 63 runs in the powerplay. Two quick wickets put CSK in a commanding position but Rohit and Tilak Verma kept finding the boundaries quite consistently. A change in plan from the CSK bowlers saw Rohit missing out on strike for a long time.
He needed someone at the other end to play a cameo, which was missing. The change of pace worked wonders for the CSK pacers as they eventually managed to close out the game, registering their fourth win of the season.
Despite the win, CSK doesn't have all their bases covered. Now let us have a look at three concerns that remain for CSK despite the win.
#3 CSK's overdependence on Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube
Newly appointed Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has led from the front and has already played a couple of match-winning half-centuries. He promoted Ajinkya Rahane up the order but the experienced campaigner couldn't make it count.
Rachin Ravindra has looked to attack right from the outset, which has been the reason behind his inconsistency. What has made CSK a force to reckon with is the form of the skipper and Shivam Dube.
The middle-order issues need to be sorted out, as the law of averages is bound to catch up. It will be interesting to see how Chennai cope with the pressure in the middle overs especially when Ruturaj and Shivam don't perform.
#2 Lack of quality death bowlers barring Matheesha Pathirana
The slinga from Sri Lanka has been nothing short of phenomenal in CSK colors. Matheesha Pathirana bagged four crucial wickets against MI and broke their backbone with his fiery bowling. A mix of toe-crushing yorkers along with slower deliveries made the MI batters dance to his tune.
Pathirana has nailed his yorkers time and again and the two deliveries he bowled to Mitchell Marsh and Tristan Stubbs against the Delhi Capitals were out of the top draw.
While the likes of Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur bowled brilliantly against CSK in the death, Pathirana remains the only reliable death bowling option for the yellow army.
#1 Mustafizur Rahman on the decline?
In the first game, the left-arm fast bowler from Bangladesh announced his arrival in CSK colors with a sensational spell against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He took four wickets and continued to be a game-changer for the Yellow Army.
However, Mustafizur Rahman hasn't been at his best in the last few games. While he did bowl brilliantly against KKR, picking a couple of wickets that were on a dicey two-paced surface where his cutters worked perfectly.
On flat surfaces, he has been found wanting. The left-arm pacer conceded 47 runs in his four overs against the Capitals and was taken to the cleaners against MI. He was smashed for 55 runs and that will be a concern for CSK going forward.