IPL 2018: 5 CSK players to watch out for in the playoffs
Qualifying for the knockouts is never easy in the toughest T20 league in the world. But it is not so for the Men in Yellow, led by the charismatic MS Dhoni. They are the only side in the IPL history to have made the playoffs in all the seasons they have competed in. The Super Kings will be featuring in the IPL knockouts for a record ninth instance in as many seasons.
With 18 points, they have finished second in the points table behind the leaders, Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Chennai Super Kings have achieved a unique feat this season, by defeating every other franchise at least once. Now, MS Dhoni's men will look to go all the way this week to make their comeback a memorable for their fans across the globe.
The Chennai Super Kings will take on the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1 at the Wankhede stadium on May 22, the winner of which will directly qualify for the finals to be held on May 27. Let us now look at five players who will hold the key to the success of the most popular IPL franchise in the playoffs.
Special mention: Lungisani Ngidi
#5 Ambati Rayudu
Rayudu represented the Mumbai Indians for eight seasons (from 2010 to 2017) before moving to the two-time winners, Chennai Super Kings in 2018. He was bought by the Men in yellow for INR 2.2 crore at the 2018 auctions.
Not many fancied Rayudu a spot in the star-studded Chennai eleven at the start of the season. But he surprised everyone with his consistent contribution as the top-order and has been the backbone of CSK's batting line-up.
In the fourteen league games this season, Rayudu has scored a staggering 586 runs for Chennai at a strike-rate of 153.40, with his highest score being 100* against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With two playoff games to be played at his favourite Wankhede stadium, expect the Guntur-born batsman to come up with some lusty blows for the Chennai Super Kings. He will look to continue his good run into the playoffs as well and help his side claim their third IPL title.