IPL 2019: Will the reigning champions Chennai Super Kings continue their dominance?
Daddy’s army – that’s how Chennai Super Kings were ridiculed before IPL 2018 began. The team had more than 10 players on the ‘wrong’ side of the 30s including their captain, MS Dhoni. The yellow army, however, trumped all doubters and reigned supreme. Riding on the spectacular century from Shane Watson in the final, CSK clinched their third IPL trophy.
The Chennai domination in the IPL is unparalleled. The yellow team has never finished below the fourth position in the league stage. Their tally of seven appearances in the final is a record. Chennai has achieved this feat despite being suspended for two years in between.
Returning from the suspension in 2018, Chennai Super Kings lost their home ground due to disputes in Tamil Nadu. The South Indian team used the MCA Stadium, Pune as their home facility and turned it into a fortress. Super Kings ended up at the second position in the league stage and defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in playoffs twice to emerge champions.
Leading into the 2019 auction, Chennai Super Kings decided to retain 23 players and released only three. They then bought their former medium-pace bowler Mohit Sharma and Maharashtra’s opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK will feature in the opening encounter of IPL 2019 against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Players to look out for:
MS Dhoni – The legend was at his belligerent best in the 2018 season of the IPL. He smashed 455 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 150. Dhoni struck 30 sixes which was his best tally in IPL career. Now with the World Cup around the corner, MS Dhoni will be primed to give his best.
Shane Watson – The 37-year old Australian all-rounder has retired from International cricket a long ago but is still amassing runs in T20 cricket. Watson scored two centuries in IPL 2018, one of which was in the final against SRH. CSK will look up to the Australian opener to provide healthy starts.
Suresh Raina – The batsman turns on his best game when playing in the yellow jersey. He is not only the highest run-getter for Chennai Super Kings but dominates the IPL’s all-time tally also. In 2018, he piled up 445 runs in 15 matches at an average around 37. Raina also holds the record for most catches in the tournament.
Dwayne Bravo – The ‘Champion’ struck 68 from 30 balls against Mumbai Indians in the inaugural match of IPL 2018 to light up the tournament. The all-rounder is effective in death overs with both bat and the ball. Bravo has 136 wickets in the IPL, 14 of which were taken in the last season.
Lungi Ngidi – The 23-year old pacer from South Africa made his mark in the debut IPL season. Ngidi snapped 11 wickets in seven matches while conceding only six runs per over. The youngster showed enough promise to be CSK’s spearhead bowler this time around.
The latest additions:
Mohit Sharma – CSK was the first IPL franchise to recognize Mohit Sharma’s talent and enlist him in the squad. The medium-pacer repaid the trust with 20 wickets in the debut season. Mohit was one of the consistent performers for Chennai till 2016. He then shifted to Kings XI Punjab for three years. CSK procured him back for the 2019 season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad – In the 2018 season, CSK lacked a steady opening partner for Shane Watson. This year with the signing of Rituraj Gaikwad, they have tried to cover this weakness.
