Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

CSK IPL 2020 Preview | CSK Squad for IPL 2020 | Strengths and Weaknesses of CSK in IPL 2020 | CSK Possible 11 for IPL 2020

Ah, Chennai Super Kings, the perennial strong achievers in IPL. Never have they missed the playoffs when participating in the IPL. Even scarier for rival teams, they have finished in the top two in six of their 10 seasons, with three IPL Titles to their name.

However, can they transfer this success over to the UAE, as they won’t be playing at their beloved Chepauk? What kind of consistency will CSK have on pitches that will assist spin, but not to the degree of Chepauk? Can their middle order and seam attack step up when needed?

And now, of course, there is the added emotional component of the recent retirement of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina from international cricket. The incredible leadership of MS Dhoni has been the cornerstone of their unrelenting consistency. Time and time again, Dhoni and CSK have proven critics wrong about their credentials, with their experience, know-how and strong processes beating the excitement and glamour that other teams possess in greater amounts.

But, IPL 2020 will be an interesting one for CSK. MS Dhoni and others have been out of action for quite a while due to COVID-19, the squad has an even older feel about it, and the entire tournament is to be held in the UAE. In this article, I will explore key strengths and weaknesses that could shape CSK’s season, as well as make a verdict as to how they will fare in their quest for a record-equaling fourth IPL Title.

Watch: I recently joined Cricket with Sparsh to analyse the CSK squad ahead of IPL 2020. Watch the video here!

CSK IPL 2020 Squad

MS Dhoni (c), Narayan Jagadeesan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif , Ravindra Jadeja, M Vijay, MS Dhoni, Josh Hazlewood, Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran, Monu Kumar, Shane Watson, Sai Kishore

Strengths of CSK for IPL 2020

1. MS Dhoni, the Leader and IPL Batsman

MS Dhoni may not have played top-level cricket for some time, but he remains an incredibly respected figure. You just need to see the overwhelming reaction to his international retirement. Whenever India don’t do particularly well in a limited-overs contest(s), Dhoni’s name almost always comes up.

While Dhoni won’t don the blue of India again, CSK will be blessed with his leadership in IPL 2020. He has an incredible ability to get the best out of his bowlers (particularly seamers), who may have struggled/will struggle elsewhere. Dhoni’s incredible experience and know-how (first ever player to captain 100 IPL matches) will count for plenty.

Also, we can’t ignore Dhoni the batsman. He has been absolutely superb in IPL cricket over the past two seasons. In fact, since CSK’s reintroduction into the competition in 2018, Dhoni has hit 871 runs in 31 matches at an incredible average of 79.18. With the added emotional element of chasing more silverware after his international retirement, you get the feeling that Dhoni will be very driven to do well in this year’s IPL.

2. Strong bowling options

CSK are well known for their spin stocks, and that will be no different in 2020. Their very interesting purchase of Piyush Chawla told us everything we needed to know about what their approach will be.

Although they won’t play at Chepauk, CSK still have the attack to perform well on the UAE tracks. Specifically, plenty of cricket will be played on the squares of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, resulting in slower pitches as the tournament goes on. With the likes of Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner and Harbhajan Singh in their ranks, CSK have a plethora of spin options to choke opposition batting efforts.

Conversely, if CSK wish to include more pace in their attack, they have the options. With the recruitment of Sam Curran and Josh Hazlewood, CSK have added further depth to their pace bowling, which also includes powerplay specialist Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi and Shardul Thakur – all bowlers that skipper Dhoni can get the best out of.

Also, what will give CSK fans hope is how well the team did playing away from Chepauk in 2018. After being forced to play almost all of their matches in Pune due to security concerns, CSK still went on to win the whole tournament, after finishing in second place.

3. Experience

The vast majority of the CSK squad is well into their 30s. But, that means significant experience, which can hold them in good stead playing away from India.

Importantly, by significant, we don’t just mean number of matches. This team is filled with IPL winners and big-match players, which can hold them in great stead; the likes of Shane Watson and Suresh Raina are fan-favourites, and will be keen for big campaigns.

MS Dhoni #7 or Suresh Raina #3? Check out five examples of customized CSK jerseys here

Weaknesses of CSK for IPL 2020

1. Lack of Top-Level Cricket for Big-Name Players

CSK have plenty of IPL-royalty in their squad. However, a significant number of them have retired from international cricket, taken breaks or have had extended layoffs due to COVID-19 (i.e. Dhoni, Faf du Plessis). While they have the experience and know-how, it remains to be seen how quickly CSK, with a number of older players in the squad, can hit their straps in the new season.

2. Question Marks about the Middle Order

This is a big season for Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav and Dwayne Bravo. In and out of the India ODI team over the past few years, both Rayudu and Jadhav had underwhelming campaigns in 2019. This was particularly disappointing for Rayudu, who starred in 2018 with 602 runs in 14 matches at 43.00 (SR 149.75).

Last season, CSK often relied on the top order to fire, as well as MS Dhoni. With Shane Watson short on top-level cricket (and an average of 23 last season) and Suresh Raina in a very similar situation, CSK will need contributions right the way down to ensure they aren’t putting too much pressure on those two and the likes of Faf du Plessis and Murali Vijay, too.

3. Can CSK’s attack lead them effectively without the insurance of Chepauk?

While CSK do have experienced personnel to be called upon, it will be interesting to see how they perform without the insurance of Chepauk. In a normal IPL season, CSK can focus on winning just about all their home games, while winning enough away from home to finish in the top two. This season, they will have to adjust their game to suit pitches that won’t be the raging turners that Chepauk is.

In IPL 2019, CSK won just four of nine matches away from Chepauk. One of these wins was the spin-friendly Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. So, how they fare away from home in IPL 2020, and whether they can string wins together, will be crucial in determining how successful they are this season.

The additions of Josh Hazlewood and Sam Curran to the squad, in addition to the fit-again Lungi Ngidi, can help. But, the big question for CSK is how they fit their overseas players in their XI to ensure they perform well if they are faced with flatter wickets.

Also read – IPL 2020 Coverage on CricBlog:

• 7 Players Who Can Win the IPL 2020 Orange Cap
• 5 Players Who Can Win the IPL 2020 Purple Cap
• 5 Stars Who Need to Prove Themselves

Verdict

Despite some shortfalls, as well as the move away from Chepauk, it will take a very brave person to pick CSK to miss the playoffs for the first time in their history. CSK are a good pick to make the playoffs, especially given the extra desire to do well for Dhoni and Raina. Whether they can go all the way will be a very interesting story to watch this season.

Thanks for reading!

Watch: I joined Cricket with Sparsh to analyse the CSK squad ahead of IPL 2020. Watch the video here!