Chennai Super Kings began their IPL 2020 campaign with a resounding victory over Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi. Chennai ended its five-match losing streak against Mumbai as everyone expected the MS Dhoni-led outfit to dominate in their traditional fashion this season as well. However, Chennai seemed to have lost their momentum as the team suffered two losses in the next two games.
They lost to the Rajasthan Royals in their second fixture, while Delhi Capitals beat them in the third game. Chennai will now lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad on 2nd October. Here is the strongest CSK XI that could help them win the battle against Hyderabad.
Openers – Narayan Jagadeesan and Shane Watson
Narayan Jagadeesan and Shane Watson can be the best possible opening pair for Chennai Super Kings in the next game. They do not have many options available in the batting department. Watson has shown glimpses of coming back to form, but Murali Vijay has struggled to get going in IPL 2020.
Jagadeesan has been with CSK for some time now. He deserves an opportunity to showcase his talent because he has done brilliantly in the domestic competitions.
Middle Order – Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, and MS Dhoni (c and wk)
With Suresh Raina absent, Faf du Plessis has stepped up and played exceptionally well at the number three position. The South African batsman has scored 173 runs in 3 matches for his team so far. Ambati Rayudu was not 100% fit to play in the second and third matches, but CSK’s CEO has stated that he will be ready for the next match. Since he played a fine knock against Mumbai, Rayudu can help CSK bat better in the fourth game.
MS Dhoni has batted very low in IPL 2020. He stated that he wanted to give the youngsters a chance to play under pressure. Now that the team has suffered two defeats, Dhoni should come up and bat at number five.
All-rounders – Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sam Curran
Kedar Jadhav has struggled to middle the ball in IPL 2020. However, one should note that this is a very different season than others. Jadhav has come out to bat under pressure twice in this year’s IPL. The fans expect top quality performances consistently and Jadhav should start delivering the goods for CSK soon.
Ravindra Jadeja has had a forgettable season so far. The southpaw is the team’s top spin bowling all-rounder and can be backed to come off well in the next match. Sam Curran has been the biggest positive for Chennai in IPL 2020 so far. The Englishman has taken DJ Bravo’s place and proved that he deserves a place in the XI.
Bowlers – Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir, and KM Asif
There are a couple of changes here. Deepak Chahar retains his place in the playing XI, but Imran Tahir comes in for Piyush Chawla. Although Piyush has done a decent job with the ball, Imran Tahir had won the Purple Cap in last year’s IPL. Hence, the South African spinner deserves a spot ahead of him. KM Asif will replace Josh Hazlewood as there are only four overseas spots available. Asif can bowl fast and swing the ball which could trouble the batsmen. Also, Asif has played much cricket in the UAE.
