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  • Blow for CSK as Moeen Ali ruled out of IPL opener against KKR due to visa delay

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Three days ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings are caught in a combination deadlock. If the unavailability of Deepak Chahar because of an injury was bound to weaken their attack and affect the composition of the four overseas players, the delay in Moeen Ali’s arrival has added to the headache.

    The English all-rounder, one of Chennai’s stand-out performers in their title-winning campaign last season, is yet to join the team because he hasn’t been issued a visa yet. It is understood that a detailed verification is currently underway, which is taking more than the usual time.

    “We were expecting Moeen to join us by Monday but because of the delay in issuing a visa, it is not clear when he will leave for Mumbai. He submitted the visa application on February 28, but because of the verification process, there has been a delay. Unless he enters the bubble by Wednesday noon, it won’t be possible for him to play against Kolkata,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told The New Indian Express.

    If Ali doesn’t arrive in time, it will be interesting to see how Chennai go about their combination. Last season, batting at No 3, he provided them with some much-needed aggression in the middle overs, an area that proved to be their biggest undoing in the 2020 season. Though his absence is expected only for the game against Kolkata, it gives Chennai an option to try their other overseas picks.

    The unavailability of Chahar for at least the first half of the tournament means they need to strengthen their fast bowling resources and as a result, apart from Dwayne Bravo, Adam Milne looks certain to be in the XI. The Kiwi’s pace can be handy in the powerplay as well as in the end overs. Fellow New Zealander Devon Conway is expected to open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ali’s absence also opens the door for Robin Uthappa to slot in at No 3.

    The toss-up for the remaining one overseas slot would be between Chris Jordan and Maheesh Theekshana. With Ali unavailable, mystery spinner Theekshana could be a handy option at the Wankhede should MS Dhoni prefer a tweaker to bowl in the powerplay. In that case, one among Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif and Rajvardhan Hangargekar will get a chance. That would give Dhoni four seam bowling options in Bravo, Milne, Shivam Dube and one of the above-mentioned trio with Ravindra Jadeja and Theekshana as spinners.

    However, if Chennai wish to strengthen their pace resources further by including Jordan in place of Theekshana, then the highly-rated leg-spinner Prashant Solanki could make his IPL debut.

    Last season, one of Chennai’s biggest strengths was its batting depth. It allowed the batters to adopt a more aggressive approach. The end result was that they were amongst the highest-scoring teams in the middle-overs, something they will be keen to replicate this season too.

  • ‘Well….I still haven’t left’: CSK skipper MS Dhoni hints at playing IPL 2022

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni might be 40 but the legendary cricketer could indeed feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. CSK, also known as ‘Dad’s Army’, lifted their fourth IPL title on Friday after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final by 27 runs.

    Dhoni, one of the greatest captains to have played the game, said he still has not left behind his legacy, indicating that he might feature in next year’s IPL also. During the post-match presentation, when the broadcaster asked about the legacy Dhoni is leaving behind, the CSK skipper gave a cheeky reply. “Well, I still haven’t left behind (smiles).”

    However, Dhoni also said that him playing for CSK would depend on what works best for the Chennai-based team. “It depends on BCCI with two new teams coming in. Well it’s not about me playing for CSK, it’s about what is best for CSK. The core group that can carry the team for 10 years. Now we need to see what is best,” said Dhoni.

    ALSO READ| Check what the Super Kings had to say after they won IPL

    The CSK skipper also said if any team deserved to win the IPL 2021 title it was KKR and also pointed out that the break helped the Eoin Morgan side.

    “Before I start talking about CSK, it’s important I talk about KKR. For the position they were in after the first phase, it is very difficult to come back and do what they have done. If any team deserved to win the IPL this year, I feel it was KKR. I think the break helped them,” said Dhoni.

    Speaking about CSK’s win, Dhoni said ” Coming to CSK we shuffled a few players, we used them in different ways. Important to take responsibility. I felt we had match-winners game after game. People who were in the form they ensured they were scoring throughout the tournament and others were chipping in.”

    ALSO READ| Don’t get too deep into analytics, go with gut feel: Stephen Fleming on CSK’s winning mantra

    “Every final is special. Yes, we are the most consistent team looking at the stats but we have also lost finals. Not letting the opposition in is something we consciously wanted to improve. I hope CSK in the coming years will be known for that.

    “We don’t really talk a lot. It’s more one on one. Our practice sessions are more like a meeting session also. People are more open that way. The moment you talk in a team room there is a bit of pressure,” Dhoni added.

  • ‘Well….I still haven’t left’: CSK skipper MS Dhoni hints at playing for IPL 2022

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni might be 40 but the legendary cricketer could indeed feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. CSK, also known as ‘Dad’s Army’, lifted their fourth IPL title on Friday after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final by 27 runs.

    Dhoni, one of the greatest captains to have played the game, said he still has not left behind his legacy, indicating that he might feature in next year’s IPL also. During the post-match presentation, when the broadcaster asked about the legacy Dhoni is leaving behind, the CSK skipper gave a cheeky reply. “Well, I still haven’t left behind (smiles).”

    However, Dhoni also said that him playing for CSK would depend on what works best for the Chennai-based team. “It depends on BCCI with two new teams coming in. Well it’s not about me playing for CSK, it’s about what is best for CSK. The core group that can carry the team for 10 years. Now we need to see what is best,” said Dhoni.

    The CSK skipper also said if any team deserved to win the IPL 2021 title it was KKR and also pointed out that the break helped the Eoin Morgan side.

    “Before I start talking about CSK, it’s important I talk about KKR. For the position they were in after the first phase, it is very difficult to come back and do what they have done. If any team deserved to win the IPL this year, I feel it was KKR. I think the break helped them,” said Dhoni.

    Speaking about CSK’s win, Dhoni said ” Coming to CSK we shuffled a few players, we used them in different ways. Important to take responsibility. I felt we had match-winners game after game. People who were in the form they ensured they were scoring throughout the tournament and others were chipping in.”

    “Every final is special. Yes, we are the most consistent team looking at the stats but we have also lost finals. Not letting the opposition in is something we consciously wanted to improve. I hope CSK in the coming years will be known for that.

    “We don’t really talk a lot. It’s more one on one. Our practice sessions are more like a meeting session also. People are more open that way. The moment you talk in a team room there is a bit of pressure,” Dhoni added.

  • Putting the Super in Chennai Kings 

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: In 2018, the IPL title triumph was almost like mocking everyone who doubted them. Coming into the tournament after a two-year suspension, the Chennai Super Kings got stick for choosing an experienced side. While everyone looked at the average age of the squad and wrote them off after the auctions, Chennai backed the team they assembled. Age factor was something they were asked about each time they faced the press. What was not lost was in all their responses was they accepted that fielding will be an issue with an aging squad. 

    With almost the same aging squad with MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu still forming the nucleus of the side, they are in their third final in four years and ninth overall. It is no easy job. Particularly in a tournament where there is no scarcity of quality. While teams around them had the exuberance of youth and X-factor players, Chennai stuck to backing their process. There is no rocket science involved in that process and it just comes down to keeping the plans simple and easy to execute. 

    In a world where most teams and captains bank on player matchups driven by data analytics, their head coach Stephen Fleming doesn’t believe in it. If a reporter wants to build his story around it, Fleming doesn’t even see merit in it. He prefers to keep it simple by all means. Pick a squad, assign each one their role, back them to execute it. While most teams would have seen players in the wrong side of 30s as a liability on the field, Chennai knew their experience of being in different situations will be more than handy. On the field, they are easy to second-guess. For a captain who preferred bowling a spinner in the powerplay, he seldom uses them. Since the ban finished, Harbhajan Singh in 2019 at Chepauk has been the exception. 

    One drastic change Chennai have brought in 2021 after the low of 2020 has been the attitude in their batting department. The increased depth has allowed them to attack at all times. Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis have strike-rates of 137.35 and 137.09. Moeen Ali, who has mostly batted at No 3, strikes at 133.33. Rayudu, the No 4, has scored at 151.17. Among batters who played at least 10 innings, Dhoni’s strike-rate of 106.54 is the lowest. 

    “We needed to play a faster game, we needed to keep evolving if we were not in Chennai. And that’s what we are trying to do; we are not the finished product by any means, but we’re playing well at the moment,” Fleming had said. Once they identified the brand of cricket they wanted to play, they have stuck to it. That in Moeen they had a batsman who plays spinners well meant Chennai didn’t necessarily have to bank only on Rayudu for big hits in the middle overs. They attacked relentlessly.

    Now they are one win away from rounding off an era where they have been amongst the best T20 teams globally. Not many can match their final appearances and a fourth title would be perfect farewell for a side that has largely remained unchanged over the years. Though Dhoni still aspires to don the yellow as a player next season, it is hard to see him continue beyond this season as a captain. Given that the upcoming auction is a mega one, Chennai would like to identify a core group that would serve for another decade. For 12 seasons, they have been most consistent and Dubai will be a perfect crowning moment for the likes of Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo, the ultimate Super Kings in the format.

    Chennai story After the disappointment of 2020, Chennai Super Kings were expected to struggle as the big auctions were put off. However, the side put aside adverse predictions to be back in the final, a place they have been on eight previous occasions. A look at what made them click in 2021… 

    Top-order solidity7/1, 24/1, 25/1. After the first three games of the season, there must have been a temptation to drop Ruturaj Gaikwad. Scores of 5 (8), 5 (16) and 10 (13) were below par and it meant they were beginning their innings on the backfoot. However, they trusted the data and kept faith. End result? Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis have become synonymous with good starts. In the next 12 games, they have combined for two 100-run stands, four partnerships of over 50 and one over 40. That all of those stands have come in good time meant the middle-order had the license to keep going. 

    Batting depth On the occasions when Gaikwad and Du Plessis have failed, the franchise have relied on their ridiculous batting depth to dig them out of a hole. Consider this — they are yet to lose a chase this season and that’s largely thanks to this depth. It was MS Dhoni against Delhi Capitals in the first qualifier, Ambati Rayudu against Sunrisers Hyderabad a week before that and Ravindra Jadeja against Kolkata Knight Riders three weeks ago. They are yet to be bowled out and have lost eight wickets or more only twice across 15 matches.    

    All-round bowling performanceThe franchise doesn’t have a single individual among the top seven in the wicket-takers’ list. But, that kind of masks what their bowling line-up is all about. There isn’t one single superstar but a support cast that compliments all the other bowlers. Shardul Thakur (18 wickets), Dwayne Bravo (13), Deepak Chahar (13), Ravindra Jadeja (11), Sam Curran and Josh Hazlewood (9 each) and Moeen Ali (6) have all chipped in. Between them, they have different variations, new-ball wicket takers, controlling spinners and death over specialists.  

    05 There are five Chennai batsmen with a strike rate of above 133 among the top 20 (a league high, minimum 10 games)
    603 No of runs scored by Gaikwad, 23 behind Orange Cap holder KL Rahul 

  • IPL 2021: Ruturaj Gaikwad becomes third CSK batter to cross 600 runs mark in a season

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Ruturaj Gaikwad became the third batter in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) history to cross the 600 runs mark in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

    Gaikwad achieved this feat in Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday in which three-times champion reigned supreme to seal their spot in IPL final for the ninth time.

    Gaikwad scored a match-winning 70 off 50 balls with 5 fours and a six to help CSK chase down 173 against DC with 4 wickets in hand and two balls to spare. Robin Uthappa (63) and MS Dhoni (18 not out) also played crucial knocks for CSK.

    Michael Hussey and Ambati Rayudu are the only other two players who have amassed 600 runs in a season for CSK in the past. Hussey did it in 2013 when he scored 733 while Rayudu made it happen in 2018 by amassing 602 runs.

    Talking about this season of IPL, the only batter ahead of Gaikwad is Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul who currently holds the Orange Cap with 626 runs. At third resides Shikhar Dhawan (551) and then Faf du Plessis (547) and Glenn Maxwell (498) completing the top five.

    In the last two overs of Qualifier 1, CSK needed 24 runs but Avesh Khan dismissed set batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad on the first ball. Dhoni whacked a six and match came down to 12 needed off the last six balls. In the final over, Tom Curran removed Moeen Ali but Dhoni held the nerves and smashed three fours to seal the CSK’s spot in the summit clash. 

  • IPL 2021: MS Dhoni asked me to try and finish the game, says Ruturaj Gaikwad

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has revealed skipper MS Dhoni advises him to start afresh in every game.

    Gaikwad played a knock of 70 as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Delhi Capitals by four wickets in Qualifier 1 here at the Dubai International Stadium on Monday.

    “It’s just normal. Just go through normal routines whatever you have been following throughout the tournament and just try and stay neutral. Each and every game you start from 0, so it’s important to start again and start fresh and be up for a challenge whatever it is. Powerplay was a crucial stage and the wicket was holding a little bit. We had to get off to a good start. Robin batted really well, he took on the bowlers and it got a little bit easier for me to stay till the end and bat throughout the innings,” Gaikwad told host broadcaster Star Sports after the game.

    “At times, you have to take the odd risk. I plan for 2-3 overs, think of who is likely to bowl and who I can target, big-short boundary, who I can target better. You have to be crystal clear, go through the process, take one over at a time and ensure that the required rate doesn’t go up too much, and take it deep. Every time, Dhoni tries to encourage me and start afresh every game. Learn from every game and move forward. He said to try and finish the game. It is what separates good players from normal players. I am just looking to learn as much as possible till he is here and stay humble,” he added.

    CSK defeated Delhi Capitals as Dhoni returned to form with a much-needed 18 off six balls.

    On-field, in the last two overs, CSK needed 24 runs but Avesh Khan dismissed set batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad on the first ball. Dhoni whacked a six and match came down to 13 needed off the last six balls. In the final over, Tom Curran removed Moeen Ali but Dhoni held the nerves and smashed three fours to seal the CSK’s spot in the summit clash for the ninth time.

  • After Gambhir-led KKR, CSK is where I have felt most secure: Robin Uthappa

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Robin Uthappa, who played a match-winning knock against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, said he has felt the most secure in the Yellow Camp in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Uthappa, who had earlier played for KKR under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, launched a counterattack after Faf du Plessis’ early dismissal. The right-handed batsman smashed 63 off 44 balls as CSK defeated Delhi Capitals by four wickets.

    “I always maintain that this has been one of the most secure franchises going around and everyone feels secure within the group and I think that only makes a player only give that much more to the franchise,” Uthappa said during the post-match presentation.

    “After KKR, when Gauti was the captain I really enjoyed myself there and felt really secure in that group but after that this is the most secure I’ve felt while playing cricket in a while.

    “It’s gonna be interesting and exciting and really looking forward to it. I just like to take the opportunity to say everyone in the world out there — let’s be kind, the world needs it,” he added.

    Uthappa warmed the bench for CSK before he got the opportunity to bat in the last few games of the league stage. The right-handed batsman dedicated his knock to his son, who was celebrating his birthday on Sunday.

    “Happy that I was able to contribute. Today is my son’s birthday and this one’s for him. When I went out to bat we knew we needed a good start, so I just tried to react to the ball and play according to the merit,” said Uthappa.

    “Hopefully it’s nothing serious (about his injury), seems like it’s a little bit of a niggle and we have got 4 days to go so I should be good. There were days when there were doubts to be honest, when you don’t get to play these doubts tend to creep in and I try to make sure that I shut myself from the outside world, I just stuck to that and I just felt that at some point I will be able to contribute to the team in a way that’s really meaningful and I’m really grateful for God that I have been able to do that today,” he signed off. 

  • CSK vs DC: MS Dhoni is something different, says awestruck Prithvi Shaw

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw is in awe of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s finishing abilities and considers himself lucky to have got a chance to watch the legendary Chennai Super Kings captain, who steered his team to the IPL final with a brilliant cameo here.

    The 40-year-old Dhoni produced a nostalgic little innings (18 not out off 6 balls) to take CSK into their ninth IPL final after beating DC by four wickets in the Qualifier 1 here on Sunday night.

    Needing 13 off the last over, Dhoni hit a square cut, got a bit of luck going his way and then pulled DC’s best bowler Tom Curran for the most celebrated T20 boundary of recent times.

    “MS Dhoni is something different, everyone knows that. We have seen him finish games so many times and it’s nothing new for him or for us to see him do that. He’s definitely a dangerous player whenever he bats.

    “I feel very lucky to be in this atmosphere and get a chance to watch him as a batsman and a leader. He took the game away from us,” Shaw said in a release issued by his franchise.

    Shaw (60 off 34 balls) and skipper Rishabh Pant (51 off 35) scored stroke-filled fifties to guide DC to a challenging 172 for five before CSK chased down the total in 19.4 overs.

    And Shaw said last night’s loss is a tough one to digest for the team.

    “At the moment, we have to back each other. The entire team takes the responsibility for our performance, whether we win or lose. We’ll try and come back stronger in the next match. It’s a tough loss to digest for the team.

    “However, we have one more match through which we can qualify for the final and I believe in each and everyone in the team. They are all great players – talent and skill-wise.

    I really believe that we can do something special in the next match and go through to the final,” he said Talking about his own innings, Shaw felt he should have carried on for a longer time.

    DC still have a chance at making the finals as they will take on the winner of tonight’s eliminator in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday.

    “I am happy with my knock, but I feel I should have played a longer innings. This is a lesson for me. When I am in the same situation again, I’ll try to bat for a longer time.”

  • Punjab Kings beat CSK by six wickets

    By PTI

    DUBAI: Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.

    CSK scored 134 for six against Punjab Kings after being put in to bat.

    Faf du Plessis top-scored for CSK with 76 off 55 balls while Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan impressed with the ball for Punjab, taking couple of wickets each.

    Punjab chased down the target comfortably with K L Rahul leading from the front and making an unbeaten 98 off 42 balls.

    Brief Scores:

    134/6 CSK in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 76; Ravi Bishnoi 1/25, Arshdeep Singh 2/35, Chris Jordan 2/20)

    Punjab Kings 139/4 in 13 overs (K L Rahul 98 not out; Shardul Thakur 3/28)

  • KL Rahul’s blistering knock in Punjab Kings’ consolation win against CSK

    By PTI

    DUBAI: KL Rahul saved his best for the last as his unbeaten 98 pff 42 balls, which for a change was full on intent quotient, helping Punjab Kings crush Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in an inconsequential IPL encounter on Thursday.

    Chasing 135 for victory, the Punjab team stormed to victory in 13 overs as the CSK skipper MS Dhoni could not find answers to stop Rahul’s onslaught.

    Skipper Rahul was on the attack from the word go, launching into the CSK bowlers.

    The stylish right-hander clobbered eight sixes to go with seven boundaries.

    He finished it in style with a big six off Shardul Thakur.

    The Punjab skipper had been panned for his approach in some of the earlier matches where he dragged the game deep but Punjab Kings failed to finish on the winning side.

    Rahul’s strike-rate had been panned often during this edition and finally the flair was back in his batting.

    Alas, it came when the horse has bolted the door.

    Thakur picked three wickets for 28 runs in three to be CSK’s best bowler on a day when the other bowlers including Deepak Chahar (1/48 from 4 overs), Josh Hazlewood (0 for 22 in 3 overs) and Dwayne Bravo (0/32 in 2 overs) looked clueless in the face of Rahul’s stylish onslaught.

    Rahul kept hitting boundaries and sixes at will even as the other batters didn’t come up with any meaningful contribution.

    Anything on his legs was whipped between fine leg and mid-wicket with utter disdain.

    The skipper and Mayank Agarwal (12) put on 46 in just 4.3 overs before he dominated another partnership with Shahrukh Khan (8) for the third wicket, adding 34 runs in four overs.

    None of the CSK bowlers was able to stop a marauding Rahul as Punjab Kings went on the offensive in a bid to win quickly and boost their net run-rate.

    Despite the easy win, Punjab’s NRR did not go past fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders with both teams on 12 with the latter set to play later in the night.

    Earlier, Punjab Kings limited Chennai Super Kings to 134 for 6 despite Faf du Plessis’ 76 off 55 balls.

    The CSK score was largely due to the fighting half-century by veteran South African player du Plessis and the 26 runs in the last two overs.

    None of the other CSK players crossed 15-run mark.

    For Punjab, leggie Ravi Bishnoi impressed in a spell of 4-0-25-1 which included the scalp of CSK captain M S Dhoni while Arshdeep Singh (2/35) and Chris Jordan (2/20) did a good job for Punjab.

    Du Plessis waged a lone battle, ensuring that the Punjab bowlers did not run away with the game with a hard-working half-century.

    The 18th over saw him hit two boundaries off Jordan’s third over as CSK continued the attempt to cobble up a respectable score.

    The South African hit two more sixes, one off Arshdeep and one off Mohammad Shami in the final over to give a much-needed push to the CSK innings towards the end.

    Ravindra Jadeja remained not out on 15 (17 balls, 1 six).

    That only 30 runs came in the powerplay indicated the CSK batters’ difficulty in getting Shami & Co away.

    Coupled with the regular loss of wickets, the three-time champions crawled to 50 in the 10th over.

    Shami, in particular, was hard to get away.

    His first spell of three was brilliant, as he conceded only six runs.

    Left-arm pacer Arshdeep continued to impress and got the wickets of the in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad (12, 14 balls, 1 four) and Moeen Ali (0).

    Gaikwad hit one four before he top-edged an attempted pull of Arshdeep to give Shahrukh Khan on the leg-side an easy catch.

    Moeen, who was in good nick in the first phase in India, failed to trouble the scorers, edging one to Rahul to give Arshdeep his second scalp.

    Robin Uthappa, who replaced Suresh Raina in the playing XI, failed to make an impression, falling for just 2.

    His attempted pull off Jordan saw Harpreet Brar take a very good catch at deep-square leg.

    Brief Scores:

    134/6 CSK in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 76; Ravi Bishnoi 1/25, Arshdeep Singh 2/35, Chris Jordan 2/20)

    Punjab Kings 139/4 in 13 overs (K L Rahul 98 not out; Shardul Thakur 3/28)