IPL 2020: Analyzing CSK's bowling contingent
The 13th season of the Indian Premier League(IPL) kicks off in about three weeks from now. The opening game will see a re-match of the last year's final- the Chennai Super Kings taking on the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
CSK has been one of the most cherished teams in the IPL, and with MS Dhoni back on the field after a long international break, the excitements peaks to a whole new different level. This team is known to keep the same core throughout all seasons, especially the top batting order.
Also, the pitch at Chepauk Stadium is slower as compared to all other stadiums in India. Knowing the nature of the surface, Dhoni prefers to have a few spin options in his team. Even during Last year, the spin duo of Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir performed splendidly in their home games.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the final CSK squad for the 2020 season:
MS Dhoni, Narayan Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif, Ravindra Jadeja, M Vijay, Josh Hazlewood, Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, Monu Kumar, Shane Watson, Sai Kishore.
Bowling lineup is one of the x-factors for the Dhoni-led squad, and this year too, we have got a great mix of bowlers who can be the marquee for the team. Let us analyze the main highlights of the bowling unit.
Great Mix of Spin Bowling Options:
Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Santner.
Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir were among the highest wicket-takers of the last season, finishing with 16 and 26 wickets, respectively. These two legends have an bowling average of 19.50 and 16.57 respectively.
The addition of Piyush Chawla further bolsters the bowling lineup. Piyush has been reasonably successful with KKR and is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. With a bowling economy of 7.82, he is undoubtedly a welcome addition to the CSK.
Also see – IPL 2020 Team
Furthermore, Mitchell Santner is another option for CSK who can bowl as well as score runs with the bat. He has been a regular contributor to his national team with a bowling average of 21.08 and economy 7.36 in T20, and besides being a good all-rounder he is also a brilliant fielder.
Finally, Though Karn Sharma got to play a single match last season, he brings in an experience of eight years of playing in the IPL and can come handy during pressure situations.
Lethal Fast Bowling:
Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur
Lungi Ngidi recently became the fastest South African bowler to reach the 50 wickets mark and will be extremely positive entring this year's IPL season. The things he can do with the new ball are commendable, and he will be looking to make a mark this time around.
Alongside him, Josh Hazlewood who is yet to make an impact in IPL, and it will be on captain Dhoni on how he can utilize this Australian speedster. Adding to the tally of international pace options, Sam Curran is another talent to look out for this year. He had a marvellous run last year with KXIP, where he became the first bowler of the season to take a hat-trick and took a total of 10 wickets with four for ten being his best figures. Curran can also be handy with bat and will be a vital part of the team.
Coming to the domestic options, Deepak Chahar can take wickets with the new ball, and has always delivered upfront taking 22 wickets in the last season. With his variations, Dhoni might think of using this talent during the death overs as well. Moreover, Shardul Thakur will be a decent back-up for him.
This time CSK has a pool of quality bowlers, and if used smartly, can deliver under any condition. Also, with a skilled spin attack, CSK will be hoping to win all of the home matches.