IPL 2021: Does Chennai Super Kings lack enough firepower? Aakash Chopra comments
Chennai Super Kings is one of the powerhouses of the Indian Premier League, being a three-time champion. The side continues to be led by MS Dhoni. It managed to finish seventh last season, which was its worst finish to date, thus failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time.
FollowAs the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to get underway, Chennai Super Kings is one of the sides in focus. It is one of the most successful sides in the tournament, having won three titles to date, all under MS Dhoni's leadership.
However, the side produced a shocker last season after failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time and finishing at the seventh spot, its lowest to date. Therefore, fans worry if there would be a change in fortunes this season, especially with the tournament being held in India this term, unlike the United Arab Emirates last year.
Nonetheless, it is still to be noted that CSK would not have any home advantage this season, as all the sides would be playing their games at neutral venues behind closed doors. Meanwhile, former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra feels that since the side's tactics are based on the home and away format, including the squad build-up, it could once again witness the same fate as last season. He also feels that it could get off to a rocky start, as the pitches in Mumbai do not precisely favour CSK's strengths.
"The pacers are more successful in Mumbai. Pace bowlers have taken 70% of the wickets and it's not particularly helpful to spinners and Chennai is a slightly spin-heavy team. They possess Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner. They own Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham. So, the list of spinners dominates the side. Despite letting Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) and [Piyush] Chawla go, they are spin-heavy," Chopra said in a video on his Facebook page.
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"You need to score high in Mumbai. A winning score in the first innings in 180. So, they'll have to play a different form of cricket. If CSK wins three of their first five in Mumbai, it will count as a big achievement. However, I feel that they might not get off to a good start," he added.
Analysing CSK's fate at other venues, Chopra feels that while Delhi and Kolkata should be perfect for it, Bengaluru can play spoilsport. "They should be good in Delhi because the ground is small and it assists spinners. The ball turns and also keeps low. Kolkata should be even-stevens. It's become a high-scoring, pace-friendly ground of late," he reckoned.
"They do not have a proper attack for Bengaluru. Bengaluru is bat vs bat and Chennai lacks the overall firepower with the ball," he concluded.
