Former champions Chennai Super Kings saw no change to their luck, as their grey patch in the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) continued. They suffered a 37-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in Dubai, on Saturday, as they stay at the sixth spot of the table. Meanwhile, we analyse some important talking points from the game.
undefined
End of the road for Kedar Jadhav? All-rounder Kedar Jadhav was conspicuously dropped from the game, to make way for N Jagadeesan. The former could only manage 58 runs in four innings at a poor average of 19.33. Furthermore, his inability to bowl this season has limited his chances in the side.
undefined
Shardul Thakur- CSK's go-to man: The medium-pacer has been heavily effective this season, as CSK have backed him quite a lot of late. While he claimed 240, he has also scalped seven in four matches at an economy of 8.68 and has a fine average of 19.85. Being the second-highest wicket-taker for the side this season, this could be the term for Thakur.
undefined
CSK leaving it for too late: In most of the occasions this season, CSK batsmen have limited their gameplay in the opening 10 overs, despite having enough wickets in hand. However, it has also proved to be their downfall, as the pressure starts mounting up and the batsmen succumb to it, losing wickets in a flurry.
undefined
Middle-order and finishing issues: Speaking of pressure, CSK's middle-order is unable to withstand it, especially in the latter half of the innings. While Jagadeesan did provide some fightback, the others couldn't. Also, Dhoni's role as a finisher, along with Ravindra Jadeja, has not been satisfactory yet.
undefined
Chris Morris proves his worth: While this happened to be the first game of the season for Chris Morris, he made a hell of an impact, claiming three for just 19 runs, at an economy of just 4.75. Provided he continues this in the coming games, RCB stand a good chance to compete this season.
undefined
Match summary: Winning the toss, RCB opted to bat first, as opener Devdutt Padikkal (33) and skipper Virat Kohli (90*) played twin well-made innings, while RCB posted 1694. In reply, RCB bowled strong right from the start, as Ambati Rayudu (42) and Jagadeesan (33) could not continue long enough to see CSK through, while Morris's 319 was a terror for the latter.
undefined