The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were dealt a hammer blow as they lost their second consecutive match to be on the brink of elimination from playoffs race. This time they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai as the Orange Army completed a rare double over the Men in Yellow and qualified for the playoffs alongside GT. CSK are still mathematically in it, but destiny is no longer in their hands. They must win their last game and hope other results got their way.
There were many aspects where CSK found it tough and we will try and decipher those key areas here.
Sluggish innings from Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top and Shivam Dube in the end hampered CSK’s progress
CSK won the toss and decided to bat first on a decent surface that was expected to get a tad slower as the game progressed. Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad came to bat inside the power play. While Samson started well and did bulk of the scoring, the approach and intent of Ruturaj Gaikwad left a lot to be desired. All the CSK captain was doing is taking singles and playing dot balls. It was one of the worst innings that we have seen in front of our eyes.
Samson got off to a flier but got out thanks to Ruturaj playing a typical Test match innings and perhaps auditioning for India’s Test team. Thereafter, Urvil Patel came and hit the lusty blows before he got out. That CSK got 57/2 inside the first power play despite Gaikwad going slow, was in itself a miracle and credit to the others for making it happen. The form batter Kartik Sharma got going and had to do heavy lifting before he fell for 32 off 19 balls.
To put things into perspective, Gaikwad fell in the 12th over with the score at 100 with deceleration at its best. Great strategy by SRH against Gaikwad and for letting him stay for close to 12 overs. That saved SRH from chasing 200+. Had Gaikwad fallen early, maybe CSK may have managed 200+. Scoring 15 off 21 balls with 0 fours and sixes is unacceptable at this level. Gaikwad needs to introspect his approach and intent.
Shivam Dube too struggled when he came in, but he at least played the situation and gave support to Brevis. But when it came to finish, he fell and credit to SRH for how they bowled in the end overs to Dube. Dube was trying but he made 26 off 23 balls in the end. So, there was no lack of trying, maybe execution was missing. It meant CSK could not get to 190-200 that they were aiming for. Overall, Dube has had an underwhelming season and he needs to come back better in the coming matches.
Inability to stop the Ishan Kishan-Heinrich Klaasen partnership ruined CSK
While defending 180, CSK did well in the initial overs as Travis Head was dismissed by Mukesh Choudhary early in the piece. Abhishek Sharma got a start but CSK bowled well to both Sharma and Ishan Kishan initially as SRH managed 45/1 in power play overs. Abhishek fell after getting a start to Akeal Hosein when the score was 56/2 in 7.4 overs. The spinners of Akeal and Noor were bowling in tandem and CSK were slightly ahead at this stage.
But in walked Heinrich Klaasen and he changed the game for the Orange Army. Klaasen assessed and quickly realised he could not block balls and decided to play switch hits and reverse sweeps and did it with aplomb. Ishan was struggling but showed maturity to give it to the form batter. Klaasen took down the spinners of Akeal and Noor and that really upset the plans of CSK. All sorts of changes were being made but Klaasen was unstoppable. Ishan got going soon after, but it was Klaasen who provided the spart.
With 50 needed, Klaasen was prized out by Noor but SRH were back on track as Ishan took responsibility with his 70 and took the side over the line. But it was this partnership of 75 runs in good tempo that took the game away from CSK. Klaasen deserves credit for the game-changing innings, while Ishan should be applauded for maturity. CSK were left to rue missed chances and sloppiness in the field and now have a mountain to climb in their last game.
Anshul Kamboj going for plenty alongside Noor Ahmad as well exposed issues
Another important reason why CSK lost was the bowling of course but another off-day for Anshul Kamboj. So far, he has been the highest wicket-taker for CSK and gave control throughout. But after being taken down few nights ago in Lucknow, Kamboj hoped to bounce back and get redemption in Chennai. While he bowled better than that previous night. But he was far from his best if we are being brutally honest.
He was taken to the cleaners by almost everyone as he went for 46 runs in his 4 overs on a 180-game and on a sporting pitch. He was not getting his line and length right at all out there. Noor started well but he too was taken down by Heinrich Klaasen and that really broke the confidence of the bowler and the team. Klaasen was brutal last night and Noor was at the receiving end. Akeal bowled better but was not used for his final over. CSK were sloppy in the field with misfielding, overthrows and a dropped catch of Klaasen at a crucial time by Johnson.
CSK’s hopes are almost dashed but they need to pick themselves up and at least end the league stage campaign with a win against GT in Ahmedabad. Whether that will be enough, remains to be seen. But they need to improve on these aspects by leaps and bounds to beat a strong GT side in Ahmedabad. It’s not going to be easy at all.
What Lies Ahead
So, CSK with this loss are all but out of the tournament. They will face GT in their final clash in Ahmedabad on Thursday night, May 21st. SRH are through to the playoffs alongside GT and they face RCB the table toppers and defending champions in Hyderabad on Friday night, May 22nd. Tonight, the focus is on RR and they need to win to keep their destiny under control when they face LSG who will have nothing to lose. This match is in Jaipur.
Let’s see how tonight’s match fares in Jaipur.
Also Read: CSK vs SRH: Ishan Kishan’s Fiery Knock Helps SRH Qualify For Playoffs For 8th Time