Led by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni – who was the costliest player of IPL's 2008 edition – CSK have featured among the four semifinalists in every IPL season, eventually breaking the jinx to win the crown in their second appearance in the final in 2010. Continue reading below
They were the losing finalists in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, falling prey to Rajasthan Royals' fairytale. CSK played their second successive semifinal in 2009 but this time failed to go beyond and were ejected by Vijay Mallya's resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore. The team owners' wait finally ended in 2010 when the Chennai boys lifted the trophy beating their foes from Mumbai (Mumbai Indians), to add glitter to their empty cabinet.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is probably the only team out of the 10 competing in the Champions League Twenty20 that has its gas-tank indicator firmly at 'F', at least on batting front. They have what it takes to win among world's elite with hard-hitting prowess in the form of Mathew Hayden, MS Dhoni, Albie Morkel and Michael Hussey and talents like Suresh Raina and S Badrinath, who can score with composure in pressure situations.
If anything, it's the bowling that adds a tone of concern to their portrait. Doug Bollinger, who changed the team's fortunes after his late-arrival in IPL-3, is going to be Dhoni's ace up front. But what must worry the skipper is the back-up, which includes a shaky Laxmipathy Balaji and batting all-rounders Albie Morkel and Thilan Thushara.
Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, along with Shadab Jakati and R Ashwin, will have to play a pivotal role in defending totals or in situations where the pacers are taken apart. But it remains to be seen how effective they prove to be in South Africa where the pitches won't offer assistance similar to the ones in India. That leaves Murali with even greater responsibility to lead from the front when the chips are down.
CSK will get badly hurt if their bowling doesn't work and in that case, it won't be wrong to admit that they rely heavily on their batting to take them the distance in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20.
TEAM:
Bowlers: Doug Bollinger, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shadab Jakati
Batsmen: Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Murali Vijay, Anirudha Srikanth
All-Rounders: Thilan Thushara, Albie Morkel, Joginder Sharma
Wicketkeeper: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c)
