It has certainly been a season to forget for the 3-time-champions CSK, who aren’t enjoying any success in the Dream 11 IPL. The team combinations, plans, and executions have all gone for a toss and the monkey seems to refrain from getting off their back. ‘Daddy’s army’ as they lovingly call them have floundered to deliver at the crucial junctures in the match and thus see them on the other side of the table.
It has been an unprecedented journey for them so far and with just 3 games to go, it ain’t getting any easier. The management off late have given the youngsters a go but the fear of failure and being left out is causing their downfall, aggravating the woes for the former champions.
CSK as we all know has a predisposition towards a set combination and plan and you would hardly witness any tinkeringin the lineup with the change in conditions. They released as many as 6 players before the 2020 auction and in hindsight they might regret leaving a few. Here are the 5 players who should not be released by the franchise and deserved to feature in the on-going IPL.
David Willey
This left-arm seamer from England could have been the ideal bet for CSK on these seam-friendly tracks in UAE. He is a potent weapon in the powerplay who could swing the ball either ways and raises doubts in the batsmen’s mind. His batting lower down the order could have certainly come handy for the franchise who have failed to add the final icing on the cake especially with the bat in hand.
Putting it in numbers, Willey has featured in 28 T20Is and managed to pick 34 wickets. He has also garnered 166 runs at an impressive strike rate of 131.75 and that is the aspect which would have warmed the hearts of CSK fans.
His recent exploits in the England-Ireland limited overs series is there to be seen by all who outshone not just with the ball but with the willow as well when England found themselves in deep troubles. With respect to IPL, he has played just 3 games to return with 2 wickets and that is definitely not the stat to judge his worth in the shortest format. He deserved a few more games in the Chennai yellow to leave a stellar impact and could have done a similar job as Boult is doing for MI. CSK have missed a trick by letting him go and that has surely come to haunt them this season.
Sam Billings
This Kent batsman is hailed to be the next big thing in England cricket after his incredible performances against Ireland and Australia which also included his maiden Odi hundred! He has established himself as a powerful finisher at no.5 who at times can take a backseat and play the anchor role as well. His absence is clearly manifested in the middle order where CSK have failed to find a player who could perform on a consistent basis and take the pressure off Jadeja or Curran who have been their only positives this season.
Billings has played 30 T20Is and scored 391 runs at an acceptable strike rate of 133.45. His IPL record justifies his role as a finisher where he has chronicled 334 runs from 22 matches at a strike rate of 133.6. His match-winning innings of 56 runs off 23 balls against KKR at Chennai in 2018 is still fresh in the minds of CSK fans who appreciated the phenomenal knock chasing a target over 200.
They would have hoped for a similar performance from the Englishman who is suited to batting at different slots. His style of play can take on the best in the business and that would have eased some nerves of the batsmen at the other end. Apart from his busy approach, he is a live wire in the field, saving close to 10 runs in every match. These pyrotechnics in the field prove to be a morale-booster for the bowler who is going through a tough spell. Skipper Dhoni and the CSK management will be ruing their decision of doing away with an all-round package like him who could single-handedly turn the match in his team’s favour and get those 2 points.
Scott Kuggeleijn
Having made his way into the CSK squad as a replacement for Ngidi last year, Kuggeleijn like many in CSK was bestowed with just 2 games to leave a mark for himself. The right-arm seamer picked 2 wickets in those games at an economy rate of 8.88. May be that was the reason which convinced CSK to release him and find some other option.
He has been a part of 12 T20Is in which he has managed to pick 8 wickets and score 65 runs at an unbelievable strike rate of 209.68. The Kiwi bowler could have been yet another weapon in the CSK arsenal who could have contributed with both bat and ball.
He was also a part of St. Lucia Zouks which made the finals of 2020 CPL and did a wonderful job by picking wickets in the powerplay. His initial surge with the ball assisted spinners likeNabi, Khan, Chase and Cornwall in restricting the scoring and picking an odd wicket as well. It was an all-round effort which saw them reach the finals and play against a powerful TKR side for the ultimate glory. The bowler could have joined forces with the likes of Chahar, Shardul or Jadeja and formed a lethal bowling attack which would have ripped apart the opposition.
This is all past now and CSK will need to persist with the options they have at their disposal, optimizing it for getting the best results in the last 3 games.
Mohit Sharma
The Haryana bowler earned his name and fame playing for this hugely popular franchise, CSK. He was the main factor for CSK’s success during the 2013 IPL who picked 20 wickets from 15 matches. The franchise unfortunately lost the final to MI but that didn’t ruin the fortunes which Sharma had procured for himself. His stellar show with the ball also helped him in making it to the senior side who went on to play the 2015 WC in Australia complimenting the likes of Shami and Umesh.
The period thereafter saw a slump in his performances who also lost his place in the Indian team. The seamer was later picked by KXIP in 2016 when CSK faced a 2 years ban. His stay at the franchise during those years did no justice to his stint as a new ball bowler who earlier rattled opposition timbre or picked them as an lbw candidate. To his grace, he could don the CSK yellow once again in 2019 but didn’t get enough opportunities then to inflict his previous year’s damage.
This year, the man is playing for DC who also featured in their 1st game against KXIP. Though he disappeared for 45 runs from the stipulated quota of 4 overs, he managed to grab the priced wicket of Rahul who was bamboozled by an in-coming delivery. The stakes are low for his return to the lineup but he could have certainly been CSK’s gain with the new ball who would have bowled in tandem with Chahar. The Indian International might not be at his previous best but his experience could have come handy for a franchise who treasures such players and builds their team around this strong core.
Dhruv Shorey
The Delhi batsman has been CSK’s hit and miss player last season who did plenty of out-fielding for them as a substitute fielder. He took some wonderful catches at the long off and mid-wicket boundaries predominantly off the bowling of veteran leg-spinner Tahir. He is a technically sound middle order batsman who has piled up runs playing for his state side, Delhi.
The batter has a penchant for succeeding under demanding situations and CSK might have dearly missed him given they were in a muddle for the majority of the season. Players like Rayudu, Kedar or even Dhoni found it tough to score at a brisk rate and thus the franchise could not get anywhere near to chasing daunting totals. Once the 2 overseas openers, Watson and Du Plessis departed early, the CSK lineup would go into a deep sleep and wake up only at the stroke of the 20th over. This has been the story for them this particular season and would have loved youngsters like Shorey to be around and lift the team from the clutches of defeat.
Shorey could only play 2 games for the franchise, scoring a mere 13 runs. Just as in the case of others, this could not be the reason for his release and had CSK trusted him enough, they would have very well reaped the advantage of the same. He could have been their rock-solid batsman in the middle order who would have carried the innings further and allowed pinch hitters like Dhoni, Curran or Jadeja to bat freely and put the feet on the gas. The situation would have been way better had it happened and assisted the former champs in their search for the 4th title!
