IPL 2020: 3 young guns from Chennai Super Kings to watch out for
Chennai Super Kings have a rather unique record in the IPL. They have made it to the playoffs in every edition of the tournament they have featured in -- 10. Also, they hold the record for the most final appearances -- eight.
Although CSK have been one of the most successful teams in the IPL, they would be disappointed with their record in the tournament finals. On five out of eight occasions in the summit clash, they have finished on the losing side.
CSK began their journey by going down to Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition in 2008 in a close encounter, and it has become a jinx of sorts for them. While they triumphed in 2010, 2011, and 2018 (on returning from a two-year ban), 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019 saw them finishing runners-up.
Known as the 'Dad's Army' for having numerous players who are well in their 30s, here's a look at three promising youngsters from the franchise to watch out for in this year's edition:
#1 Sam Curran
England all-rounder Sam Curran first came into prominence during India's tour of England in 2018. He was a constant thorn in India’s flesh, playing counter-attacking knocks and taking big wickets to push the visitors on the backfoot. India had numerous chances to take the upper hand in the series, but Curran ensured otherwise.
The Man-of-the-Series winning performance led him to an IPL contract with Kings XI Punjab for 2019. Curran displayed glimpses of his brilliance with a hat-trick against Delhi and a fifty off 23 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders. He finished the season with 10 wickets and 95 runs in nine matches. At CSK, he should provide good support to senior all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
#2 Lungi Ngidi
One of the most promising fast bowlers on the international circuit, Lungi Ngidi can play a key role for CSK if he gets it right. The fast bowler was among the key reasons South Africa crushed Australia 3-0 at home in the recent one-day series. Ngidi claimed 6 for 58 and 3 for 30 to bowl the Proteas to an impressive series win against all expectations.
Ngidi has come up with a number of match-winning efforts in a short career. He was the Man of the Match on his T20I debut against Sri Lanka and again on Test debut versus India. In the IPL last year, he put in a memorable performance with 4 for 10 against Kings XI Punjab. CSK will expect more of the same from him.
#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad
A promising youngster who plays for Maharashtra, Ruturaj Gaikwad came into prominence when he notched up scores of 187 not out, 125 not out, and 84 for India-A against Sri Lanka-A last year. Back in 2016-17, Gaikwad finished as the third-highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 444 runs from seven matches.
He was also the highest run-getter for Maharashtra in the league stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19. Gaikwad has an excellent record in List A matches with 2,499 runs in 54 games at an average of 49. His fluent batting style makes him pleasing to watch on the eye. If given a chance, he would be keen to make an impression for CSK.