Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Why are CSK struggling to perform in IPL 2022? | A look at why CSK are struggling so far in IPL 2022

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have started their IPL 2022 campaign on a horror note as they’ve lost their first three games in the tournament.

Led by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, the men in yellow couldn’t start the tournament well after having lost 3 out of 3 games and are finding themselves at the bottom of the points table. For the first time in the history of the tournament, they have started the tournament with three losses on the trot. It’s very surprising for a consistent team like CSK to suffer such a run, especially given they are the defending champions.

Unlike Mumbai Indians, Chennai is not known as a slow starter but this season it’s been very unlike CSK start to their IPL campaign. They lost their first game to Kolkata Knight Riders. When it felt like they’ll register their first win of the ongoing edition, Shivam Dube’s expensive penultimate cost them the game against the Lucknow Super Giants. And most recently, Punjab Kings got the better of the defending champions by 54 runs making it three defeats in a row.

One question that is popping into everyone’s mind is, “what’s been the cause of concern for one of the most successful franchises in the history of the IPL?”

3 key reasons why CSK are struggling so far in IPL 2022

1. Gaikwad’s poor run of form:

Ruturaj Gaikwad is having a torrid time with the bat currently as he’s been dismissed for single-digit scores in all of CSK’s three games so far in IPL 2022. This is completely contrasting to his brilliant run of form last season when he finished as the highest run-getter in the tournament and won the Orange Cap.

CSK will be hoping that Gaikwad will turn the tides and hit a run of supreme form to help his side climb up in the points table. The incumbent opener has been an important part of CSK’s success story in the last year and that’s why CSK retained him before the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, this is not the first time that the opener has had to struggle to get going at the start of the season. In fact, even in IPL 2020 and IPL 2021, Ruturaj registered three straight single-digit scores in his first three knocks of those seasons.

CSK desperately need him to fire at the top as they’re losing wickets regularly in the powerplay which is putting too much pressure on the rest of the batters. If Gaikwad doesn’t end this string of bad runs soon enough, a lot of problems will arise for the yellow army.

2. Deepak Chahar’s absence hurting CSK badly

CSK had spent a whopping Rs 14 crore (INR 140 million) to buy back Chahar at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month but were handed a massive blow ahead of the start of the season after an injury to the pacer. Since 2018, Chahar has picked up 58 wickets in as many matches with 42 of those coming in powerplay – an ability that CSK are missing the most this year.

His unavailability has been a big factor in CSK’s dismal run in the first three games of the season. Early wickets in the powerplay is very necessary in any format of the game and the lack of wickets from Chennai’s bowlers is one of the main reasons why they’re yet to win a game this season. Chahar’s record in the powerplay reflects his importance in the team and why CSK has invested a lot in Chahar’s swinging ability.

The team management is confident that Chahar will join the team in the last week of April but hopefully, it’ll not be too late from CSK’s point of view.

3. Spin yet to play a part for CSK:

Spin has played a crucial part in the middle overs in this tournament but for CSK’s spinners haven’t joined the party yet. In the spin department, the team has Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner, and M Theekshana as their spin attack, and it is a potent finger-spin attack with the ball turning inwards as well as outwards for the batters. 

Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali are the only two options that are regular members of the playing XI. And honestly, they haven’t been as effective as the team would like them to be.

Wrist spin has played a huge part in a team’s success in T20 cricket in the last few years and they lack an experienced wrist spinner in the squad. All their main options are finger spinners. The only wrist spin option in the squad is Prashant Solanki, who is highly inexperienced when it comes to IPL cricket.

Being the regular members of the playing XI, skipper Jadeja and Moeen have to take up the extra responsibility to control the game in the middle overs or CSK will continue to struggle in the ongoing edition of IPL 2022.