Reports of a reshuffle to the 2021 Indian Premier League season will be welcomed by a number of teams across the tournament – none more so than Chennai Super Kings. Stephen Fleming’s side are about to rebuild, having endured a disappointing 2020 campaign.
For the first time in the history of the franchise they failed to reach the post-season. The Super Kings placed in seventh spot in the IPL standings, winning only six of their 14 matches. They were far from the team that were beaten on the final ball of the 2019 final against the Mumbai Indians. Almost the entire line-up failed to fire, although there were rare exceptions. England’s Sam Curran was excellent with the ball, while South African batsman Faf du Plessis was solid at the top of the order.
The Super Kings need to head in a new direction and that may result in a change of leadership. MS Dhoni has been an outstanding captain for the franchise, but at the age of 39, it might just be time for him to pass on the mantle. He has insisted he will remain at CSK and will no doubt be given the benefit of the doubt due to his legendary status, although father time is against him.
Other players have already departed the Super Kings, and a lot more could follow. The addition of a ninth team and a mega auction promises to shake up the competition, and potentially play into the hands of a rebuilding Chennai.
Will The Super Kings Shift Their Ageing Stars?
As it stands, the Super Kings are backed at 7.00 in the odds provided by Betway to win the 2021 Indian Premier League. It would be a dramatic turnaround based on their form from last season, and the bookies appear to be basing their judgement on their past success. Chennai’s displays in 2020 were not a dip or an off year. Their squad was the oldest in the competition and lacked the young talent needed in key spots to compete for the crown. Fortunately, they will have the opportunity to turn over the older members of their roster for the 2021 season.
Outstanding all-rounder Shane Watson, who was a key figure in the Sup
Super Kings’ IPL triumph in 2018 has announced his retirement. The Aussie will leave a huge void at the top of the order, and despite his advancing years, he remained a solid player for Chennai last season. Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh were also vital in past triumphs but opted not to play in 2020. Their days could be numbered as the franchise may look to release the duo from their lucrative contracts to free up funds.
Dwayne Bravo could be in the same boat after missing time with injury last season, although he still has at least a couple of years left at the top. Batsmen Ambati Rayudu and Murali Vijay are not getting any younger in their mid-thirties. It will be difficult for the Super Kings to part with men that have been the driving force of one of the most successful teams in the competition. However, it needs to be done sooner rather than later to get back to matching Mumbai Indians at the top of the tournament.
Who Needs To Stay In Chennai?
The Super Kings cannot overhaul their entire squad. It would be a drastic measure and if a mega auction comes to pass they will have the opportunity to lock down at least three players. Top of their list has to be Curran. The 22-year-old claimed 13 wickets last season in his first year at the franchise at an average of 26.46. He is only going to get better with more experience in the IPL and at international level with England. Curran is certainly a star in the making and needs to be tied down to a long-term deal by the Super Kings.
The batting ranks of CSK are stocked to the brim with players over the age of 30. That’s why the emergence of Ruturaj Gaikwad was vital for the franchise, although he only played six matches. Gaikwad had a shocking start to his tournament, scoring only five runs in his first three innings. The 23-year-old flashed his potential by notching three fifties on the bounce, including an unbeaten knock of 65 against Royal Challengers Bangalore to outshine Virat Kohli. Gaikwad should be the future of the team at the top of the order and a ready-made replacement for Watson.
Outside of Curran and Gaikwad, there are not a lot of candidates for Chennai to save from the auction. Dhoni is the obvious choice, but they could even use one of their RTM (right-to-match) options on their skipper. Ravindra Jadeja had a tournament to forget in 2020, but has been excellent for the Super Kings in the past with ball and bat in hand. At the age of 31, Jadeja could be the perfect man to assume the captaincy from 2021 onwards. He has experience both at domestic and international level, and has six seasons under his belt with Chennai. It could be a move to take the Super Kings forward, while respecting their illustrious run under Dhoni.
Head coach Fleming and the franchise face a number of key decisions after their underwhelming 2020 campaign. The 2021 off-season is the first step in ensuring the Super Kings bounce back into contention next term.