Match 37 of the Indian Premier League (2020) featured a match of high stakes between the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Both the teams have their backs against the wall as they’ll have to win all their matches to solidify their place in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was CSK who found themselves on the wrong side of the equation as they faced a crushing defeat against the Rajasthan Royals.
However, there’s some silver lining for the CSK fans as their captain cool, the legendary MS Dhoni made two massive milestones which literally seem unimaginable to achieve!
(PC- indianexpress)
MSD adds two huge feathers to his cap!
Dhoni became the first-ever player to play 200 IPL games. MSD has been a staple in the IPL since its first season back in 2008. He was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings as the most expensive player of IPL 2008.
Dhoni made another record as he completed 150 dismissals in IPL. The cricketing community is well aware of MSD’s unconventional yet effective wicket-keeping skills. Many rightfully believe he has the capacity to change the game from behind the stumps both as a keeper and as a batsman.
MSD has captained CSK to achieve the huge accomplishment of qualifying for the playoffs in every season of the IPL they’ve played. The franchise has won three IPL trophies and has been the runners up five times!
The franchise was suspended for two years from 2016-2017. They made a comeback by winning the 2018 season. MSD has been a long-time leader of the side. Before IPL 2020, he had captained the side in 174 matches with the highest winning percentage of 60%.
This season, however, has been disastrous for CSK. They are at the last position of the IPL points table with only three wins in 10 matches. They’ll have to win all four of their matches with a considerably healthy margin and wait for the permutations and combinations of other teams results and net run rates to qualify. However, chances of that seem to be extremely bleak.
Super Saturday will feature another exciting match of two heavyweights as Delhi Capitals will take on the mighty Chennai Super Kings.
Capitals have had a combination issue since their last two matches due to the injury of Rishabh Pant. However, they’re coming off a win as they made a comeback in their last match against the Rajasthan Royals.
Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have found their combination and some great momentum in their last win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The entire cricketing world is aware of what the CSK is capable of, irrespective of what the points table says. That being said, they’ll have to win five of their six matches to qualify for the playoffs.
Delhi Capitals
Capitals have had some difficulty in their batting since their last two matches they were at least 10-15 runs short. Rishabh Pant being injured has added some distortion in their team combination. The restriction of playing four foreign players had Shimron Hetmyer out of the playing 11 as well. However, they have equally capable Ajinkya Rahane and Alex Carey replacing them. Rahane especially will have to prove his worth and play according to the situation probably coming at number 3.
Their bowling, however, can compensate for some fewer runs. Everyone in their bowling attack has been phenomenal. Rabada holds the purple cap with 18 wickets. Nortje has looked in great form clocking in the fastest, second fastest, and the fourth fastest delivery in the history of the IPL in their last match itself. Ashwin and Axar Patel have been keeping things tight as well.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK went on with an unusual combination of seven bowling options and opening with Sam Curran. That gamble paid off as Curran scored a quickfire 31 runs off 20 balls. Watson and Rayadu put up a great partnership to give CSK a respectable total. They kept on taking wickets at regular intervals, which took the side through. However, is it too little too late? Only time can tell.
(PC – Yahoo)
Fantasy XI team
SAM CURRAN (9) (C) – Sam Curran has bowled consistently this IPL. He also scores crucial runs in the lower middle-order. There are chances that he can be promoted as well. He’ll be our captain.
SHREYAS IYER (9.5) (VC) -Iyer has been in really good form throughout the season. He adapts to the situation and plays accordingly.
FAF DU PLESSIS (10) – Faf Du Plessis hasn’t been much consistent in the last three games. However, keeping in mind the short boundaries of Sharjah, we can give him a chance.
SHANE WATSON (9) – Watson has scored a phenomenal 83 off just 53 balls against KXIP. He scored another fifty against KKR. He has been performing really consistently even at the number 3 position.
MS DHONI (9) – MS Dhoni has been in decent form and has been hitting some big power shots.
PRITHVI SHAW (9) – Shaw hasn’t been in great form since his last three matches, however, keeping in mind the short boundaries of Sharjah, we can give him a chance.
MARCUS STOINIS (9) – Stoinis has looked great and has provided both runs and wickets at crucial stages. He’s coming off a wonderful fifty against the formidable CSK batting lineup.
DWAYNE BRAVO (8.5) – Bravo has shown some rhythm in his bowling after making a comeback.
KAGISO RABADA (9.5) – Rabada has been the highest wicket-taker of the season so far.
ANRICH NORTJE (8.5) – Nortje has impressed everyone with his speed. He has been a great wicket-taker for Capitals.
R. ASHWIN (9) – Ashwin has looked really good in the season so far. He has continued to show form despite being out of the playing 11 for a while due to injury.
PREDICTION
Sharjah has been a batting dominant pitch, however, has slowed down a bit for the last 3-4 weeks. Therefore, the team with the most settled batting lineup and a diverse bowling lineup will have an upper hand. That being said, both the teams have that but Chennai has a lot of momentum on their side and Delhi is struggling with their top-order. Chennai Super Kings will therefore defeat the Delhi Capitals.
What’s IPL without some controversy? Match 29 of the IPL 2020 featured a slightly heated moment surprisingly involving the captain cool, MS Dhoni.
The incident came to light when umpire Paul Reiffel decided against calling a delivery as a ‘wide ball’. During the penultimate over, CSK bowler Shardul Thakur bowled a wide yorker to batsman Rashid Khan. The ball seemed quite wide and the replay confirmed it as well as the ball was seen pitching out of the line.
Umpire Paul Rieffel began to stretch his arms to signal a wide. However, at the same time, he saw a furious reaction from Dhoni which is contrary to his nature. Rieffel clearly influenced by Dhoni’s reaction, stopped midway to not declare it as a wide.
The incident sparked a debate online from cricket lovers. Some criticized Rieffel for making a biased decision that too under influence. Some criticized MS Dhoni was showing a reaction which was unnecessary and detrimental to the spirit of the sport.
Dhoni and Rieffel criticized!
SRH skipper David Warner showed disappointment in the way the decision was made as well. The game was at a fairly critical stage and with the ability, Rashid Khan possesses with the bat, you never know what could happen.
A similar incident happened last year, however, this time around skipper MS Dhoni was on the receiving end and that did not go well with him at all. Royals’ Ben Stokes bowled a fairly high full toss to Mitchell Santner. The umpire stretched one of his hands to signal a no-ball but retrieved mid-way.
An infuriated Dhoni charged his way to the pitch from the dugout and engaged in an argument with both the umpires. Stokes tried to calm him but was in vain.
March 29 of the IPL 2020 will feature a clash of two teams who came into the tournament as favourites but have struggled as Chennai Super Kings will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chennai Super Kings is coming off another disappointing loss the Royal Challengers Bangalore. They seemed to be struggling even in the areas which were considered to be their strong points like their top-order. They might have to consider promoting MS Dhoni at number 4. They can also consider having players from the mid-league transfer.
Sunrisers, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing loss against Rajasthan Royals. They did everything correctly for around 36 overs of the game but lost their grip in those final 4 overs due to Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia heroics. However, they would focus on scoring some extra runs.
Chennai Super Kings
The team is highly dependent on their top-order. Their lower middle-order has been good but they are usually underutilized due to their middle-order. They’re finding issues finding their number 4 batsman. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kedar Jadhav have failed. Jagadeesan played well but couldn’t amp up the strike rate as he scored 33 off 28 balls when Rayadu scored 42 off 40 balls. That had Curran, Jadeja, and Bravo with very fewer balls to work with.
Their bowling has looked good. The addition of Shardul Thakur and Karna Sharma has been beneficial. Bravo might not take wickets but keeps things fairly tight especially at death overs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH had a decent start with Warner playing sort of anchor role. Johnny Bairstow will have to establish some consistency. Pandey played well but according to the situation, he should have accelerated more as he scored 54 off 44 balls. Their bowling looked really good. Khaleel Ahmed looked on fire by taking early wickets of dangerous Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. Rashid Khan bowled really well and Natarajan obviously nailed in some yorkers. However, they lost some steam in the last four overs as Parag and Tewatia were able to score.
(PC- Indian Express)
Fantasy XI team
DAVID WARNER (10.5) (C) – David Warner has been in phenomenal form and has been consistent as well. He’ll be my captain.
SHANE WATSON (9) (VC) – Watson has scored a phenomenal 83 off just 53 balls against KXIP. He scored another fifty against KKR. He’ll be our vice-captain.
AMBATI RAYADU (9) – Rayadu has regained decent form after returning from injury.
FAF DU PLESSIS (10) – Faf Du Plessis hasn’t been much consistent in the last two games. Therefore, he won’t be our captain or vice-captain.
JOHNNY BAIRSTOW (10) – After what he did two matches ago against KXIP, he makes a way in our team.
MANISH PANDEY (9) – Manish Pandey has been in great form and has been given a new role of leading the middle-order.
SAM CURRAN (9) – Sam Curran has bowled consistently this IPL. He also scores crucial runs in the lower middle-order.
DEEPAK CHAHAR (8.5) – Chahar has been contributing with crucial wickets especially in the powerplay overs.
SHARDUL THAKUR (8.5) – Shardul Thakur has bowled really well after been given a chance.
KARN SHARMA (8) – Karn Sharma bowled really well and bagged two wickets on his IPL 2020 debut. He can get some assistance off the Dubai pitch.
T. NATARAJAN (8.5) – Natarajan has been the find of the season so far as per bowling is concerned. He can literally bowl an over full of yorkers.
PREDICTION
SRH looks more balanced comparatively. Even though they’re coming off a loss, they haven’t done anything that incorrect in their last match. Also, the match being in Dubai can be beneficial for SRH as Rashid Khan seems to get a lot of assistance there. Also, with the addition of Vijay Shankar, they can address their problem of the fifth bowler option. Sunrisers Hyderabad will therefore defeat the Chennai Super Kings.
IPL 2020 is almost halfway through and the points table is as dramatic as it can get. The teams who entered the tournament as heavy favourites have struggled and one of them is the three-times champion, Chennai Super Kings.
Super Kings have surprisingly lost five of their seven matches! It is safe to say that CSK is in amidst of a do or die situation. They will have to win six of their remaining seven matches or at least five with a healthy run-rate and wait for the cards to fall in the right places. Super Kings have always qualified for the playoffs in their 12-year history of the IPL. Clearly, there’s a strong chance of this particular streak being ended.
CSK has been facing some troubles even before the tournament had started. The COVID-19 pandemic tailored the CSK camp as 13 of their staff including two players were tested positive. This unfortunate incident was followed by two of their veterans Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh withdrawing from the tournament.
Coach Stephen Fleming clearly frustrated!
However, despite having some really good alternative options, the side is clearly struggling. Frustrated head coach Stephen Fleming opened about the issues holding the franchise back.
“If we don’t get a good start at the top with our two overseas players, we’re falling into a hole. So we’re looking for positive solutions. What I’d like is a little bit more intensity through the middle overs. We’ve got plenty of batting, and while we’re recovering pretty well, we are just ending up with too much to do at the back”, he said at a press conference.
(PC- New Indian Express)
Fleming also agreed with the fact that the side is an ageing team with the highest average age of 30.5 years among all the IPL teams.
“If you look at a couple of other factors, this one is an ageing team. Also, the conditions…the spinners at this stage are playing a small role but still not playing the substantial role we are used to. We are looking for ways to compete and change the style of play, given we have been so consistent with our selections. We are certainly scrapping…trying to find a way, it is a bit foreign and the results are showing,” Fleming admitted.
CSK should have an eye on the ‘Mid-season transfer‘ which will allow them to have players from other teams, provided they should have not played more than two matches for their current team. Commentator Harsha Bhogle suggested CSK should target Delhi Capitals’ Ajinkya Rahane. They can also consider players like Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Saurabh Tiwary, etc.
Chennai Super Kings’ skipper, captain cool MS Dhoni, tops the IPL 2020 brand endorsement chart.
The list consisted of well-renowned celebrities from cricketers to even legendary actors! They were judged on the basis of recall value. The values were according to a survey conducted by the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB).
IIHB ran a telephonic survey on October 4 reaching out to 892 respondents to check-out recall of brands, their celebrities, and their messaging. All respondents were between 15 to 35 years and 59% were males and 41% were females.
IIHB team have created their own tool called CELEBAR to evaluate these research feedback. The tool assigns a metric score to each celebrity and the corresponding brand.
What is CELEBAR score?
The tool took into account the following aspects:
Spontaneous recall of the brand
Spontaneous recall of the celebrity
Spontaneous recall of the brand and celebrity together – Recency of communication
Media weight behind campaign
Solus versus multiple brands using the celebrity
MS Dhoni had a CELEBAR score of 82! The spontaneous recall was very high at 72%. His association with Dream11 was also very high at 79%. H got 12% brand association with Oppo, 6% with AMFI, and 2% each for Khatabook, TVS, and Indigo Paints.
Dhoni led some big names with Virat Kohli scoring 69, actor Akshay Kumar scoring 62, actor Ayushmann Khurrana scoring 55. They were followed by two extremely huge names of the industry as ‘King Khan’ Shahrukh Khan and ‘Mr. Perfectionist’ Amir Khan scored 52 each. Amitabh Bachchan had a CELEBAR score of 32 as well.
(PC- CricTracker)
As per brands are concerned, Byju’s was the most spontaneously recalled. Dream11 was in the second position. Swiggy, Mahindra Thar, Upgrad, and Tata Altrox ranked highest amongst brands that did not use a celebrity.
Match 21 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 will feature an interesting match as Chennai Super Kings will take on Kolkata Knight Riders. Both the teams came into the tournament as heavy favourites, however, haven’t had the best starts. That being said, the entire cricketing community knows that they can bounce back at any given time.
CSK is coming off a dominating win over Kings XI Punjab as they castled them by 10 wickets. KKR, on the other hand, is coming off a loss against Delhi Capitals.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK had their back against the wall in their last match. The three-time champions were coming off three consecutive losses, first time after 2014. They started a bit weakly as well as KXIP was able to put a healthy total of 178 onboard. The addition of Dwayne Bravo and Shardul Thakur has helped the CSK bowling line up. They can compensate if one of the spinners end up being expensive.
CSK, however, showed their real class while chasing. The opening pair of Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis chased the entire total singlehandedly as they put together a 181 run partnership. Watson finally converted his start into a big one as he scored 83 off just 53 balls. Du Plessis continued his form as he scored 87 off 53 balls to take the side through.
(PC- The Statesman)
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR is coming off a loss against DC, however, overall they performed well. Bowling first, DC was able to score a mammoth 228 runs. Obviously, bowling could have better but nothing much can be done while playing at Sharjah! KKR scored 210 runs while chasing. Nitish Rana was able to convert his start as he scored an impressive 58. Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi played well as well. They might have to consider opening with someone else other than Sunil Narine.
(PC- Cricket Addictor)
Fantasy XI team
FAF DU PLESSIS (9)(C) – Du Plessis is coming off two phenomenal fifties. He scored 87 of just 53 balls against KXIP. He’ll again be my captain.
AMBATI RAYADU (9) – Rayadu will look to continue from his match-winning inning in his first match before the injury.
SHANE WATSON(9.5) – Watson is coming off a phenomenal 83 off just 53 balls.
SHUBMAN GILL (9) – Gill looked in great form in the second match as his fifty took KKR home. He scored another fifty against RR to take KKR towards a respectable total.
EOIN MORGAN (9.5) – Morgan has shown great form. He took KKR home against their match against SRH. He also played an important contribution against RR to put up a respectable total. He also gave a ray of hope in their last match chasing 228.
NITISH RANA (9)(VC) – Rana has looked good. He’s coming off a great 58 against DC. He’ll be our vice-captain.
ANDRE RUSSELL (10.5) – Russell has been playing cameos. However, he’s an impact player.
DINESH KARTHIK (8.5) – The KKR captain has shown some snippets of good from. However, he has been batting up the order, so there are chances of him scoring something substantial.
SHIVAM MAVI (8.5) – Mavi has proved himself in his all the three matches.
PAT CUMMINS (9) – Cummins has bowled well. The last match being in Sharjah affected his figures, but he has looked in a decent rhythm.
DEEPAK CHAHAR (8.5) – Chahar has been contributing with crucial wickets especially in the powerplay overs.
PREDICTION
It’s difficult to bet against CSK after a performance like that. The return of Ambati Rayadu has added stability to the lineup. The addition of Bravo and Shardul Thakur has helped as well. Their side looks more balanced than KKR. CSK will therefore defeat KKR.
We end our weekend and Super Sunday with another barn burner as Chennai Super Kings will take on Kings XI Punjab.
During the initial days of the IPL, nobody would have thought these two teams to be at the bottom of the points table. However, that’s exactly what happened as both of these teams find themselves at the bottom with only one win in four matches.
CSK is coming off another disappointing loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The loss marked their third consecutive loss. KXIP, on the other hand, is coming off another disappointing 48 run loss against the Mumbai Indians. Both the teams will desperately need this win.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK found probably their best combination in the last match with the return of Ambati Rayadu and Dwayne Bravo. Bravo extended their bowling lineup and also added depth to their batting. However, their top-order couldn’t deliver. They would be happy about their skipper MS Dhoni showing form. Ravindra Jadeja played well for a fifty as well.
CSK’s bowling has looked decent. Their spinners are lowly regaining form and momentum.
(PC- InsideSport)
Kings XI Punjab
KXIP have been putting phenomenal performances, however, failing to put it together completely as a team. They are a top-order dominant team, therefore, if KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal fail, the entire team falls under pressure. Glenn Maxwell will have to step up his game.
KL Rahul will have to evaluate his bowling options. Having 8 overs from part-timers Jimmy Neesham and Gowtham proved to be extremely expensive in their last match. They may consider bringing back Murugan Ashwin and even Chris Jordan.
(PC- The Indian Express)
Fantasy XI team
FAF DU PLESSIS (9)(C) – Du Plessis is coming off two phenomenal fifties. He scored 72 of just 37 balls with 7 sixes against RR. He’ll again be my captain.
KL RAHUL (10.5)(VC) – Rahul has been extremely consistent in this IPL with a fifty and a century. He has been a run machine and will be our vice-captain.
MAYANK AGARWAL (9) – Agarwal is probably in the best purple patch of his life.
AMBATI RAYADU (9) – Rayadu will look to continue from his match-winning inning in his first match before the injury.
SHANE WATSON(9.5) – Watson has been getting some good starts. However, he’ll have to convert them into something big.
SAM CURRAN (8.5) – Curran bowled really well and also scored a match-winning cameo in their first match against MI. Dhoni likes the idea of promoting him depending upon the situation.
DWAYNE BRAVO (9) – Bravo gives CSK with 4 solid overs. He’s also a handy batsman in the lower-middle order.
RAVINDRA JADEJA (9) – Jadeja converted his starts into a big fifty in the last match against SRH. His bowling has been gaining momentum as well.
MOHD. SHAMI (9) – Shami looked phenomenal with his spell where he picked up 3 wickets in the first match and bowled well in the second as well.
DEEPAK CHAHAR (8.5) – Chahar has been contributing with crucial wickets especially in the powerplay overs.
RAVI BISNOI (8) – Bishnoi impressed everyone with his dynamic leg-spin.
PREDICTION
CSK seem to have found their best combination. It didn’t work in their last match due to tight SRH bowling. However, KXIP do not have the same steam in their pace bowling. Bravo has added depth to their batting and bowling as well. CSK will therefore defeat KXIP.
The exciting long weekend will continue with another classic as Chennai Super Kings will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Both the teams entered the tournament as favourites, however, couldn’t seem to strike the right combination as of now. But it’s still initial days of the tournament, cricket fans know both of these heavyweights can bounce back at any time.
CSK is coming off a disappointing loss against Delhi Capitals. But the much needed time off may have given them the time to reiterate some of their weaknesses.
SRH, on the other hand, is coming off the first win of their tournament. They seem to have found the right combination at least for now.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK has been struggling with its combination. The top order hasn’t been contributing. Shane Watson has been getting starts but hasn’t been able to convert them into the fifties. The middle-order with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kedar Jadhav haven’t been contributing that much as well. This puts unnecessary pressure on Faf Du Plessis. Skipper MS Dhoni must consider promoting himself up the order as well.
As per bowling is concerned, CSK has finally achieved a strong pace bowling combination. Deepak Chahar, Sam Curran, and Josh Hazelwood have looked phenomenal. Their spin bowling, however, has struggled. CSK may consider replacing Piyush Chawla with Karn Sharma.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH, on the other hand, seems to have finally found a combination. They were struggling with their middle-order but the addition of Kane Williamson has sorted it out. Rashid Khan found some form in his last match as well. Newcomer Natarajan has been good in death. However, spearhead Bhuvaneshwar Kumar hasn’t looked in form.
(PC-Sportskeeda)
Fantasy XI League
FAF DU PLESSIS (9)(C) – Du Plessis is coming off two phenomenal fifties. He scored 72 of just 37 balls with 7 sixes against RR. He’ll again be my captain.
DAVID WARNER (10.5) (VC) – David Warner has been in phenomenal form and has been consistent as well. He’ll be my vice-captain.
JOHNNY BAIRSTOW (9.5) – Bairstow has been in great form as well. He has adapted an anchor role and thus scores big.
MANISH PANDEY (9) – Manish Pandey has been in great form and has been given a new role of leading the middle-order.
SHANE WATSON(9.5) – Watson has been getting some good starts. However, he’ll have to convert them into something big.
SAM CURRAN (8.5) – Curran bowled really well and also scored a match-winning cameo in their first match against MI. Dhoni likes the idea of promoting him depending upon the situation.
KANE WILLIAMSON (9.5) – Williamson can play each role. He can attack using traditional cricket shots taking minimal risks.
RASHID KHAN (9.5) – Rashid Khan is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. And most importantly, he has found form.
DEEPAK CHAHAR (8.5) – Chahar has been contributing with crucial wickets especially in the powerplay overs.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD (8.5) – Hazlewood impressed everybody with his tight bowling.
T. NATARAJAN (8) – Natarajan has impressed everyone with his death bowling. He justified himself being picked over Khaleel Ahmed, Siddharth Kaul, and Basil Thampi.
PREDICTION
Both teams have their own loopholes and limitations. However, working around them is the job of a captain and MS Dhoni masters in it. SRH is short of a fifth bowler. They cannot expect Abhishek Sharma to give them 4 overs under any pitch or circumstances. CSK will definitely study those weaknesses and capitalize on them. CSK will therefore defeat SRH.
Earlier before the tournament started, experienced campaigner Suresh Raina had announced that he would not be taking part in this edition of the IPL owing to personal reasons.
But after three games, the latest news has indicated that Raina could make a comeback, provided the team management gives the approval. This comes after successive losses to Rajasthan and Delhi, where CSK find themselves 5th in the team standings with an NRR of -0.840.
But, CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan has ruled out any such move, stating that the current crop of players will be the ones to put back the team to winning ways. He is quoted as saying, “See, we cannot look at Raina because he made himself unavailable and we respect his decision and his space. We are not thinking about it.” Chennai have also not benefitted from the loss of Ambati Rayudu due to a hamstring injury.
The effect could be seen in the last two games, with no one sticking to accelerate the pace in the middle overs of the run chase. Openers Watson and Vijay have not fired, Du Plessis and Jadhav take time to settle while despite Dhoni’s best efforts, CSK is far behind the asking rate. Factor in Raina’s absence and there is no stability as such in the middle order for the Yellow Army.
There is a good reason that CSK have been struggling as far as batting is concerned. With an average of 33.3 and strike rate of 137, Raina often played the role of an anchor in the batting lineup. He has single handedly won matches for the team and sometimes supported the likes of Faf, Watson and Dhoni to put CSK over the line.
The loss of an important player like Raina was always going to hurt Chennai. But now, if he is even remotely interested in joining back then he should be allowed to. It just might change the fortunes of a team that has almost always qualified for the playoffs.
