IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings' 7-factor analysis
The Whistle Podu Army have been busy cheering and spreading the 'Yellove' since the start of the tournament. The energy of the fans has galvanized the CSK team into action, winning 2 of their 3 matches till now. Although CSK lost the 3rd match by a whisker, 'Thala' Dhoni's performance won the hearts of entire cricket crazy nation.
When CSK played MI, KKR and the KXIP it was a battle of the exuberance of youth in the 3 opponents versus the endurance of the experienced in the CSK. The biggest concern raised by the experts of the game for CSK was the squad's average age. MS who often included maximum youngsters in the team is now leading a side full of players retired from or on the verge of retiring from international cricket. But it does not seem to have impacted CSK's performance, conversely, the experience is proving to be extremely helpful.
Let us dig deep and see how the Chennai Super Kings have performed in the first 3 matches based on 7 factors.
#1 Powerplay Batting (overs 1 - 6)
The raw power of Shane Watson and timing of Ambati Rayudu combined with years of T20 experience that both possess makes this opening pair of CSK as one of the best in the tournament. But except for the match against DD they have not performed that well in the other 2 matches and have thrown away wickets far too easily.
MS Dhoni and the CSK team management would still believe in the pair and expect it to become more consistent. If both of them keep failing to pile up runs in the powerplay on a regular basis, Faf du Plessis and Murali Vijay can be thought of as alternatives.
Have a look at the CSK powerplay batting stats -
