IPL 2020 – Season Review: Chennai Super Kings – A journey of disappointments
One of the most decorated teams in the Indian Premier League, the Chennai Super Kings, had a disastrous run in this season of the tournament. The MS Dhoni-led team that never missed out on being a part of the playoffs this season became the first team to be knocked out of the race for the playoffs. Some things went their way, but certain things went wrong for the side too. And the fact that the things that went wrong outnumbered those that went their way, caused the team’s early exit from the tournament.
The positives
The biggest positive that came out for the team this season was the performance of the all-rounder Sam Curran. The 22-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder from England contributed to Chennai’s campaign in whatever way possible. In the absence of the team’s core all-rounder Suresh Raina, Curran stepped up and gave his best. He played in 14 matches, took 13 wickets, and managed to put together 186 runs, all of which came in crucial situations. The form young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad showed in the last few matches was also heartening. He struck three fifties in succession at the top.
Finishing at No.7 ??#WeShallPlayOn #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/02XJnHQeDQ
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) November 2, 2020
The negatives
Apart from Curran’s success, there were many things that did not go Chennai’s way. The biggest of which was the absence of players in the team who were active in international cricket. The team’s captain, MS Dhoni, did not play a single match since August 2019 and had announced his international retirement.
Other players like Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, and for that matter, Dwayne Bravo, who in previous editions carried the team through, also were not active as much in the international scene.
The Chennai camp also dearly missed the presence of Suresh Raina in the line-up. As the fans call him, ‘Chinna Thala’, opted out of the tournament for personal reasons, which affected the team’s composition very much. Harbhajan Singh, the team’s veteran off-spinner, had also pulled out of the tournament at the start, and his presence was also missed in the Chennai squad.
Chennai Super Kings officially out of the #IPL2020– First time in the league history before the play-offs/semi-final.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 25, 2020
Injuries also plagued the team, as the ace all-rounder of the team, Dwayne Bravo, missed out on a good chunk of matches due to an injury that he sustained midway through the season. MS Dhoni himself had an underwhelming season with the bat, and this was why Chennai Super Kings lost matches that they should have won. The team also did not name replacements for the injured and players who had opted out, which also affected the squad composition.
Looking ahead
With all that said, this season is done for CSK. And, the minds working for devising the strategy would now be focussing on the next season, which is just months away from now. MS Dhoni, as declared, will be a part of the team for another season, so there will be no lack of cricketing brains in the squad. If the grand auction of the 2021 season takes place, the team management and Dhoni would want to bring in some fresh faces.
