IPL 2018: CSK stars whose form has dwindled after a promising start
The Chennai Super Kings have made a dream comeback to the IPL with five wins out of their first six games of this season. Almost all the players have contributed to their victories. They have had new heroes in each match played this season. Surprisingly, Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson have been the biggest contributors for Chennai with the bat.
But some of their star players like Jadeja and Tahir have not performed up to expectations. Two of their overseas stars who had a dream start also failed to replicate their success in the other matches. Let us now look at those players.
Dwayne Bravo
The Trinidadian has played for three different franchises in the IPL - The Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Lions. Bravo has been a priceless all-rounder for CSK over the years and was retained by them in this year’s auctions using the Right to Match card for INR 6.4 crore.
He single-handedly took Chennai across the finishing line against Mumbai in the season opener at the Wankhede stadium with an astonishing knock of 68 (30). His breath-taking innings included three fours and seven towering sixes. He had a decent match with the ball, giving away just 25 runs in his four overs but failed to pick up a wicket.
After that enthralling first game, Bravo has not been that impressive for the Chennai Super Kings. In six matches so far for the Yellow Army, Bravo has scored 118 runs and has taken six wickets. With Jadeja failing to shine for CSK, Bravo needs to prove himself with his all-round abilities in the upcoming games.
Sam Billings
The English wicket-keeper batsman is an experienced T20 campaigner and an explosive batsman who can score runs at a quick pace. He has represented England in 17 T20 international matches and has scored 205 runs at a strike-rate of 134.87, with his highest score being 53. After being released by the Delhi Daredevils prior to the 2018 IPL auctions, he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 1 crore. It was a bargain buy for Chennai considering Billings' batting prowess in the shorter formats.
Chasing 202-6 for victory in their second game, it was Billings who anchored Chennai's chase with a fabulous 56 (23) against the Knight Riders at Chepauk, which included two boundaries and five towering sixes. Billings was the Man of the Match for his scintillating half-century in his first game in Chennai colors. But after that promising debut, Billings has not played well for the franchise. In five matches so far, he has scored just 77 runs and needs to fire in the upcoming games.