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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) began their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 campaign on a disappointing note, going down to defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the season opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
However, MS Dhoni and co. have lifted themselves in brilliant fashion since then, registering two back-to-back wins.
They came up with a terrific batting performance against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), putting up 217/7 on the board after being asked to bat first. Lucknow came hard in the chase, but the cushion of runs aided CSK’s cause as they staved off the LSG challenge and clinched the game by 12 runs.
Chennai Super Kings then dominated the El Clasico clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 8. A brilliant bowling performance saw them restrict Mumbai to 157/8, a total they chased down in 18.1 overs with seven wickets in hand.
In the wake of Chennai’s impressive performances in their last two matches, we look at three reasons why the team will be tough to beat in IPL 2023.
#1 CSK's strong opening pair
Teams that have a strong opening pair are more likely to do well in the T20 format because they often set up the game.
If we look at IPL 2023, the Rajasthan Royals have Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Both have dominated proceedings as RR find themselves at the top of the points table after three matches.
Speaking of Chennai, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the current Orange Cap holder. In three matches, he has smashed 189 runs at an average of 94.50 and a strike rate of 161.54. Gaikwad’s form augurs really well for CSK going forward in the tournament.
The right-handed batter’s opening partner, Devon Conway, hasn't quite come to the party yet. The Kiwi scored a bright 47 against Lucknow Super Giants but was dismissed for one and 0 in Chennai’s other two matches.
Conway, though, is a prolific batter and it should only be a matter of time before he starts scoring consistently. If the duo fire in unison, opposition teams better watch out.
#2 CSK's left-arm spin duo
Without a doubt, CSK are weak in the pace department. The injury to Deepak Chahar has only made matters worse for the franchise. Before the start of the tournament, they also lost left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary to injury.
While Chennai look thin in the pace bowling department, they are blessed to have two quality left-arm spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner in their ranks. Both are very good at keeping things extremely tight and picking up key wickets and are rarely taken apart.
Both Jadeja and Santner were key to CSK’s triumph against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday. While the former was adjudged Player of the Match for his figures of 3/20, the New Zealand international stifled MI with two wickets, including the big one of Suryakumar Yadav.
With Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana also set to join the Chennai camp after completing his international duties, their bowling attack will look a lot more robust.
#3 Players grabbing their chances
A big positive for CSK in IPL 2023 so far has been that players have grabbed their chances when called upon.
Pacer Tushar Deshpande has gone for a few runs but has picked up a few crucial wickets. Against Mumbai, he produced a brute of a delivery to knock over Rohit Sharma. Deshpande also dismissed the dangerous Tim David towards the end of the innings.
In the same match, with Moeen Ali unavailable, CSK handed a debut to Ajinkya Rahane. The veteran Indian batter played a sensational knock after Chennai lost Conway for a duck in a chase of 158. Rahane slammed seven fours and three sixes in an uncharacteristically aggressive knock of 61 runs off 27 balls.
After a disappointing season last year, Chennai’s players seem hungry to make an impact. If they carry on in the same vein, the franchise can definitely be a tough side to beat in IPL 2023.
