IPL Report Card: Chennai Super Kings

Performance
Mats - 14, Wins - 8, Losses - 6, No Result - 0, Points - 16

Position in Points Table
3/8

Results

Top Performers

Talent hunt
Adversity brings out the best in some and it is no different for Punjab's Manpreet Gony. Having gone through a tough life, Gony welcomed opportunity with an open heart when it knocked at his door. Within one season, he caught the eye of the selectors as a well built and hit-the-deck kind of bowler. With an aim of playing for India, he has become the highest wicket-taker for his franchise of Chennai. He can wield the long handle too and very well, it must be added. When required, he has the ability to come up with a quick 10-15 runs and a couple of big hits to the fence.

The DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) also provided a comeback opportunity to two erstwhile Indian team regulars - Suresh Raina and Lakshmipathy Balaji. While the two were dropped for various reasons, their motive of playing the IPL was one - to impress the selectors. And how! Raina has scored runs attractively at a healthy average of 32 runs and has a strike rate of nearly 140. Balaji, pace considerably reduced due to injuries, picked up a hat-trick in his very first IPL game and has since bowled pretty economically.

Biggest disappointments
A surprise in this list is Sri Lankan ace Muttiah Muralidaran who picked up just 8 wickets in 13 matches. The batsmen seemed to have their plans worked out to tackle the wily spinner. They were satisfied with just seeing his spell off and played him with extra caution. This explains his measly economy rate of 6.92 runs per over.

If Murali's inclusion was a surprise because of the batsmen playing over cautiously, Makhaya Ntini finds a place here purely because he couldn't pick up wickets. His 5 wickets in seven matches included a four-wicket haul, meaning he went wicket-less in 5 other matches! His economy rate was fine though, a healthy 7.33 runs per over.

Bugbear
The biggest concern has to be the opening partnership. Stephen Fleming hasn't exactly been at home in the T20 format. He doesn't have a single 50+ score in 10 innings so far and his strike rate is just over 118. Parthiv Patel too hasn't impressed much with a single fifty to his name, that too in a lost cause. With a strike rate of 97, he doesn't really set the ground on fire. The low strike rate in fact hampers the team's chances of getting off to a quick start, which has very much been the order of the day in the IPL.

The Chennai team was the fastest off the blocks in the IPL, winning 4 out of 4 in their first few games. Then came the low period when they won only 3 of their next nine games and only just managed to squeak through to the semi-finals. Dhoni's inspirational captaincy that had led India to the World T20 crown must have certainly come under the scanner. Chennai will definitely be hoping that skeletons from their closet don't jump out to haunt them in the near future and they can put out the torrid second phase of the IPL behind them.

Standout performance
The standout performance has to be Lakshmipathy Balaji's hat-trick in his comeback game. For a man who has been out of action for as long as he has been, it sure is commendable to cut down pace and concentrate on the basics so hard that he went on to pick up a five-wicket haul in the same match. Imran Khan had once called him the most genuine swing bowler that India had produced since Kapil Dev and Balaji surely intends to live up to it.

Trivia
1. Chennai has the highest score of the IPL to their credit - 240/5 against Kings XI Punjab at Mohali.

2. Ironically, Chennai also have the lowest score in the Power Play overs to their credit (28/2 after 6 overs against Mumbai Indians at Mumbai).

Write a comment

• Required fields are marked with *.

Name:
Email:
Subject:
Comment: *

Security Code:
 

balamurugan
Posts: 17

Cricket
Reply #1 on : Sat May 31, 2008, 14:23:22

---

India is pest cricket wourld

arvind
Posts: 17

great thing
Reply #2 on : Sat May 31, 2008, 14:26:47

---

chennai will win the cup t20 no one cant stop it

arvind
Posts: 17

chennai super kings rockz
Reply #3 on : Sat May 31, 2008, 14:34:36

---

chennai is ever best no one cant stop it and dont try to stop its like rain

MS DHONI
Posts: 17

Re:
Reply #4 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 02:49:03

---

WE RULE

navya
Posts: 17

I LOVE MY SUPER KINGS
Reply #5 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 03:57:16

---

i like super kings very much . i like nitini more than anyone .all the best for their finals.

Arun
Posts: 17

Chennai Rockz!
Reply #6 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 04:00:08

---

Sure, chennai will win match today.....
First Ipl T20 cup for chennai...

Kowshick Subramaniam
Posts: 17

Viewers from Oman !!!
Reply #7 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 04:38:56

---

We viewers from Muscat, Oman, wish Chennai Super Kings to win this IPL2020.

Dhoni....please do not disappoint us !

Best of Luck Guys !!!

Vegeta
Posts: 17

Downfall of Royals
Reply #8 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 05:08:17

---

Chennai will have the DLF-IPL trophy with them
The victory is due to following reasons
The Reasons:
1. Subramaniam Badrinath
2. Suresh Raina
3. Makhaya Ntini

nabeel
Posts: 17

winning iplt20
Reply #9 on : Sun June 01, 2008, 08:41:06

---

inshaallah chennai will win the match .
inshaallah god will give the power to chennai .
all the best for chennai ............

venkatesan
Posts: 17

Chennai will win the next ipl
Reply #10 on : Mon June 02, 2008, 01:52:05

---

Chennai didn't lost the game, they missed it. that's it! We will win next time. that is sure. we have a confidence.

Note:
The next IPL trophy belongs to chennai only.....
no one can stop that.

valar priya
Posts: 17

ROCKING DHONI
Reply #11 on : Mon June 02, 2008, 03:14:41

---

DEAR DHONI,
HAI DEAR FRIEND. DONT WORRY ABOUT THE YESTERDAY MATCH. ACCORDING TO US YOU ONLY WON.BECOZ YOU & YOUR TEAM HAD DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.ENTERING FINAL IS A BIG THING.WE CONGRATS U'R SUCESS.

Anonymous
Posts: 17

Re:
Reply #12 on : Mon June 02, 2008, 06:02:22

---

IPL "THE MOST ENTERTAINING". CHENNAI SUPER KINGS were really good in this tournament. The captain is so cool and he dint give pressure to his players. The best thing about him is, his words "PLAY UR NATURAL GAME". Hope he will remain the captain for CSK in next IPL also..

Prashant
Posts: 17

CSK- a decent team
Reply #13 on : Tue June 03, 2008, 01:54:49

---

I did not think spending 6 crores on dhoni was really a good idea in the beginning. Dhoni has not been a reliable batsman but he has been reliable as a captain. And it is his captaincy alone which has taken the team to the finals. Remember CSK does not have too many stars in their after the OZ's left.

I think Chennai has a decent bowling attack, but a very unpredictable batting line-up. They have been lucky as far as batting is concerned since someone has taken the responsibility always the team was in disarray. I guess, we should have one more good bowler and a good batsman to win the next season and i dont see why that should not be a cake-walk.

susanti
Posts: 17

congrats csk
Reply #14 on : Sat June 07, 2008, 02:22:45

---

de csk was sum team ireally luved
but it was quite disappointing tat dey lost but its k dey must b thankful 2 dhoni 4 his superb captaincy,gony,raina and of coz hayden and hussey
but murali did dissapoint.de semifinal win sensational, kool abt it
but together a job well done
congrats csk,proud of u

susanti

R.ARUN
Posts: 17

dhoni
Reply #15 on : Wed June 18, 2008, 01:55:21

---

Dear Dhoni,i like your batting style.

SagarPj
Posts: 17

CSK
Reply #16 on : Sat June 28, 2008, 14:23:25

---

Chennai Super Kings are the real kings

kanthan
Posts: 17

Ceicket
Reply #17 on : Mon June 30, 2008, 06:10:40

---

Fianl Match its real match