Champions League T20 2013: Chennai Super Kings' chance to retain top spot

Date – October 2 2013

Time – 20.00 (IST)

Ravichandran Ashwin found his rhythm aganist Brisbane Heats. If the wicket at Delhi is slow, Ashwin would certainly hold the key for Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings have been the consistent performers in the Champions League competition. They have been unbeaten and look invincible in this competition. Though the Super Kings lost the IPL final to Mumbai Indians this year, they thoroughly dominated the competition and outclassed some top teams – Brisbane Heats, Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who had quality pace attack.

At the right moment, Murali Vijay and Badrinath are getting into the groove which is a good signal for the Super Kings. Players like Suresh Raina and Badrinath responded to the pressure situation really well against Titans. Also Ravindra Jadeja bowled extremely well against Brisbane Heats and claimed two wickets for 18 runs. He got the ball to turn squarer, which made life difficult for Brisbane Heats stroke makers and from there on, Brisbane Heats were nowhere in the game. MS Dhoni has used him as the strike bowler for the Super Kings.

Trinidad & Tobago have posted two comprehensive wins in this competition and they find themselves at the second spot in the table. They have a balanced squad which can do the job both with bat and ball. Ravi Rampaul and Lewis set an example for that against the Brisbane Heats and Titans respectively. Also Darren Bravo has been in remarkable form in this competition and has helped Trinidad & Tobago to post formidable scores that could be defended by the bowlers. If these three players can reproduce the same kind of performance against Super Kings, Trinidad & Tobago could fancy their chances.

However, it is not going to be simple for Trinidad @ Tobago. They are playing against a high-quality side, which is capable of responding to the pressure situations really well. They will have to get the batting order right. Chennai don’t have a strong pace attack. Super Kings have Mohit Sharma and Jason Holder, who don’t have the experience of playing against quality stroke makers. That’s the area Trinidad & Tobago will have to target. If they can attack Mohit and Holder, Super Kings bowling would certainly be tested.

Chennai Super Kings have already qualified for the semi-final, but T&T haven’t. Though they have a superior net run-rate, they need to ensure that they lose by a tiny margin to the Super Kings. On the contrary, if T&T beats CSK, they go through to the semi-finals.

Pitch and Conditions

There are two wickets at Delhi. One is a batsmen friendly wicket and another one is a slow wicket. It will be interesting to see which wicket would be used for the match. If it is a slow wicket, both teams have quality spinners. On the contrary, if it is a batsmen friendly wicket, Super Kings will hold the advantage.

Players to watch out for:

Trinidad & Tobago pace attack: Trinidad & Tobago have a formidable pace attack which can pose problems to even world’s best batsmen on display. The wicket at Delhi is expected to be slow, but being a night match, some movement may be available for the bowlers. Therefore, Trinidad & Tobago fast bowlers will play an important role. They need to strike with the new-ball, or else, things would become tougher for them.

Opening batsmen of CSK: It will be interesting to see the approach of Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay. Hussey has played against some quality pace attack, while Vijay hasn’t been exposed to it. They will be holding the key for Super Kings. If they can provide a steady start for CSK, Trinidad & Tobago’s bowling could be tested.