After winning their last three games and on a high, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were given a brutal reality check and a hammer blow to their playoff aspirations when they crashed to a 7-wicket defeat with 20 balls to spare against already eliminated and bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). LSG outplayed CSK in all facets of the game and literally blew them out of the park as the Men in Yellow, hamstrung with a flurry of injuries, did not know what hit them. We’ve identified several issues and phases that went wrong for CSK, and we will list them for you.
Losing both openers and a sluggish start in power play hampered CSK
CSK were asked to bat first by LSG on a pitch that was decent to bat on. But the Men In Yellow did not get off to the flying start that they were hoping for. After the initial two overs, which yielded 20 runs, thanks mainly to Sanju Samson, LSG fought back well and strangulated CSK through the use of the short-pitched ball, which created discomfort for the batters. Ruturaj Gaikwad was the first to depart as his average season continued, and Sanju Samson fell in the final over of power play.
Both the wickets fell to Akash Singh, who was impressive in his first outing this season for LSG. He bowled 4 overs and got the top 3 out and finished with 3/26. But in the power play, it was he who did most of the damage. Credit to LSG for the planning they did against CSK and the execution from Akash Singh. But CSK were too slow off the blocks as we found out later in the night. Scoring 37/2 meant there was always going to be a lot of catch-up to do.
Credit to CSK’s Kartik Sharma for the innings he played of 71 off 42 balls, and was supported by Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube as well, with a flourish that helped CSK recover and get to 187, which was a good score. But still, it was a few runs short. For CSK to do well and keep their very slim playoff hopes alive, they need a proper start from the openers in the power play and set it up for the others. With the bowling weak due to Overton’s injury, batters have to score 15-20 above par to win the contest.
Inability to stop the Mitchell Marsh show and the opening partnership sealed the fate of the game
Defending 187, CSK would have hoped to take early wickets and put the pressure on LSG’s underperforming middle order. But what they got was something they would never have imagined. The first two overs were identical in terms of the score, as 20 runs were scored in the first two overs of both innings. But then what followed was the Mitchell Marsh show. Josh Inglis did his bit getting the odd boundary away, but he realised it was Marsh’s night in Lucknow. He complemented Marsh really well, and the partnership flourished.
Marsh took a special liking to Anshul Kamboj, hitting him for 4 sixes and a boundary in the 5th over, and the carnage was there for everyone to see. To put things into perspective, CSK were 37/2 in 6 overs. LSG, on the other hand, in the power play were 86/0 in 6 overs. This means that, going by comparison, LSG were a whopping 49 runs ahead. This is where the game was as good as over. CSK now had catch-up to do. The duo played beyond the power play and batted till almost 12 overs. They put on 135 for the first wicket inside 12 overs to nail the game.
Yes, CSK got rid of Inglis and got a lucky break of Marsh to create artificial excitement, but things were under control for the hosts. Nicholas Pooran took control of the proceedings and hit 4 sixes in 4 balls once again off Kamboj to seal the deal and dent CSK’s NRR as well. CSK bowled too many slot balls there to be hit and paid the price in the end. The bowling of LSG and CSK was a hell and heavens different, and that showed in the eventual result.
This defeat will hurt CSK, and now they have to pick themselves up for the Southern Derby against high-flying SRH in Chennai on Monday night and have to win that game to keep their slim hopes alive. This will test the character of the team in CSK. Riddled with so many injuries, do they have it in them to make a comeback from nowhere?
Underperformance of Ruturaj Gaikwad and a rare off-day for Anshul Kamboj exposed CSK’s problems
Few concerns remain for CSK, and one of them is the continuous underperformance of Ruturaj Gaikwad, the CSK captain. Gaikwad just hasn’t got going, barring a couple of matches here and there, mainly against MI. The captain has struggled for runs and has failed to hit boundaries and sixes. The strike rate has been an issue for Gaikwad over the years, and it seems the intent is not there to improve it. Yes, the bowlers are bowling well to him, but it’s high time that he finds new methods to combat and outsmart the bowlers.
Yes, Sanju Samson missed out yet again as CSK are overdependent on Sanju’s performance. But Sanju at least has shown his calibre, while Gaikwad has continuously struggled, and maybe the burden of captaincy is affecting his batting performance. He has led the side well, especially with so many injuries in the set-up. But Gaikwad the batter has not helped Gaikwad the captain.
Adding to CSK’s woes was an off-day for their key bowler Anshul Kamboj. Kamboj has been CSK’s best bowler in terms of wickets that he has taken this season. But last night at the Ekana, he was brutalised and something he has to forget soon to come back and keep CSK’s fortunes alive. Last night, he was hit for four sixes and a boundary by Mitchell Marsh, while Nicholas Pooran later on hit him for 4 sixes in 4 balls to finish the game as Kamboj went for 63 runs in 2.4 overs.
This performance could not have come at a worse time, with CSK’s qualifications at stake. Kamboj has to go back to the drawing board and forget this performance and come back in the game against SRH on Monday night as CSK needs a win to keep their very slim hopes alive. Gaikwad needs to step up as time is running out for the Men in Yellow.
What Lies Ahead
So, CSK will next face SRH on Monday night in Chennai in a crucial clash as the Men In Yellow have slipped to 6th in the points table. While LSG will face RR in Jaipur on May 19th, and will try to spoil the party of RR there. Another important game coming up tonight as KKR hosts GT at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. A win for GT will officially confirm their place in the playoffs. KKR are still not out of it and can get to 15 points should they win their remaining home games at home. But they need to play well, as a slip-up will be the end of their campaign.
There could be rain on the horizon in Kolkata as on match eve in the evening hours, torrential rain with thunder and lightning lashed the city for a few hours. One hopes that the rain stays away and we get a proper game in. Let’s see if KKR can keep their hopes alive, or will GT romp to another win and complete the double over KKR?
Also Read: LSG vs CSK: Mitchell Marsh’s Barnstorming Innings Dents CSK’s Playoff Chances