IPL 6 - CSK vs Kings XI Punjab: CSK Preview

11^TH MATCH: CSK v/s Kings XI Punjab

DATE: 10^th April, 2013

TIME: 8:00 PM (IST)

VENUE: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

The most consistent and the most promising side, Chennai Super Kings lost a close battle in their first IPL6 outing against Mumbai Indians. Given the formidable batting order, chasing 149 did not appear to be difficult at all, but Dhoni’s men in yellow botched it all with reckless short selection. That was a home game and now it’s an away game, something that will add to the pressure on CSK. Taking on King’s XI Punjab in Mohali, CSK needs to regroup quickly to win against the Kings XI, who have started their IPL 6 campaign with a thumping win against PWI. In the nine encounters between these two teams, CSK has the upper hand with five victories to Kings XI Punjab’s four. But conquering the opponent at their fortress is never easy and Dhoni cannot rule out Punjab on any ground, for in 2012 CSK lost to Gilchrist’s team both in Chennai and in Mohali.

The new bowling attack of CSK that took the field in the first match will be bolstered with the availability of Nuwan Kulasekara and spinner Akila Dananjaya. The all-rounder Albie Morkel too will join the team, so this widens the choices for Dhoni. Relatively conducive for pace bowling, the pitch at Mohali will back Hilfenhaus’ selection, as the Aussie had a great outing in the last IPL season. In all probability, Dirk Nannes and Hilfenhaus will lead the pace attack against Punjab. The Indian spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bring in a lot of depth to the bowling,. The spin due are just coming out of a very successful Test series against Australia. Also, they are no novices with the bat either. They are all-rounders in their own right and provide depth to the CSK batting as well.

In Mahendra Singh Dhoni the team has a captain who has the coolest head on his shoulders and always leads from the front. If not the best, he is one of the best finishers of the game. Captain cool looked in fine touch in the last match as he went on to score 51 off 26 balls. He took the crease when CSK was five down for 66. He took the team near the finishing line, but for the lack of support from the others who followed, shelved the chances of victory. This is the time for a reality check for the Chennai team, an ensemble which boasts of a strong and long batting line-up. To effect a turnaround, the mighty batting order needs to perform. Evergreen Mike Hussey, redoubtable Suresh Raina, solid Murali Vijay, hard hitting Dwayne Bravo, S. Badrinath, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja ensure the batting line-up cannot be compared with the young Punjab side. But last year’s performance shows that underdogs have the potential to leave CSK red-faced.

ACES THAT MIGHT WIN IT FOR CSK

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: An expert in this format of the game, skipper MSD has in him the ability to steer his team to victory. With a hefty weight of runs on his side in T20 internationals and with an overall strike rate of 137.68 in IPL, undoubtedly he is the most reliable number six player. His calmness-coated incisive captaincy can ensure his team’s victory.

Ben Hilfenhaus: This Aussie had been a striking presence in the CSK dugout last year. His eye catching figures of 14 wickets at an economy of 6.85 make him a potential threat. He would again be a bowler to contend with.

Dwayne Bravo: His bowling and batting both have been an impetus-provider for CSK. Striking the ball at a rate of 140.53 in IPL 5 and scalping wickets at crucial moments augur danger for the opponents in the games to come. In his first IPL 6 outing, he made an impact with his bowling by snaring two crucial wickets.

THE PITCH

The pitch at Mohali has proven to be an excellent cricketing wicket. There is something in for everyone, which makes for exciting games. The pitch stays true in both innings, so may be the toss won’t be as vital as in some of the other games at other venues. Dew may be a factor in the second innings.