IPL 2022: 3 reasons why CSK may not win the IPL this time
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title last year when they defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final. It was a fairy-tale comeback for the MS Dhoni-led franchise after failing to make it to the playoffs in IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE. Chennai came up with some excellent performances last season and deservedly lifted the crown.
Ahead of the IPL 2022 auction in Bengaluru last month, they retained skipper Dhoni, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali, as well as IPL Orange Cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad. During the bidding process, they bought back some of their key released players like Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu among others.
3 causes of concern for CSK heading into IPL 2022
Although Chennai are the defending champions in the IPL, they are faced with a tough task heading into the 2022 edition. We analyze three reasons why CSK might not be successful in defending their title.
#1 Deepak Chahar’s absence due to injury
The Chennai franchise suffered a major setback after it emerged that pacer Deepak Chahar could miss most of IPL 2022, perhaps even the entire tournament. The 29-year-old picked up a right quadriceps injury during the third and final T20 match against the West Indies in Kolkata and is expected to be out of action for at least a few more weeks.
The 29-year-old was bought back by Chennai at the mega auction in Bengaluru last month for ₹14 crore. The pacer has played a significant role in CSK’s success in recent years, particularly at the top of the innings, where he has undone opponents with some fantastic swing bowling.
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Last season, he claimed 14 wickets at a strike rate of 23.14 with two four-wicket hauls. Apart from his bowling, Chahar’s batting has also significantly improved in recent times. His skills with the willow could have been an additional asset to CSK during IPL 2022. It remains to be seen how soon Chahar will make a comeback and whether he will get enough opportunities to make an impact.
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#2 The Faf du Plessis factor
If we closely analyze CSK’s performance last season, we will find that the opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad were the standout factors in the win. While Gaikwad walked away with the Orange Cap for amassing 635 runs at an average of 45.35, Du Plessis only scored two runs less. He ended IPL 2021 with 633 runs at an average of 45.21.
That’s not all. Du Plessis was the Player of the Final for his brilliant knock of 86 in 59 balls against KKR, which set up CSK’s fourth title triumph. Despite his magnificent performances, Chennai did not retain the South African batter. Perhaps the age factor went against him as he will turn 38 in July.
In Du Plessis’ absence, CSK will have a new opening pair for IPL 2022. New Zealand’s Devon Conway is one of the candidates to open the batting with Gaikwad. They could also try out Moeen or Robin Uthappa. Whoever opens will have the unenviable task of trying to recreate the Gaikwad-Du Plessis magic.
#3 Weak bowling attack
Keeping aside Chahar’s absence, Chennai’s bowling attack for IPL 2022 looks rather weak, at least on paper. If we look at the pace department, they have the experienced Dwayne Bravo, New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne, South African pacer Dwaine Pretorius and England all-rounder Chris Jordan.
The spin department will depend on Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana and Moeen to an extent. No doubt the bowlers are talented, but their pedigree fades in comparison to previous bowling attacks put together by the franchise.
Last season, CSK had Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood, Sam Curran, Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi in their ranks. Barring Tahir, who got to play only one match, all of the others made significant contributions to Chennai’s triumph at some point in the tournament. One wonders if the franchise got it wrong at the mega auction.
Whether Dhoni and co. can defend their IPL 2022 title with this bowling attack, only time will tell.