Photo: BCCI
CSK are potentially staring at a league stage exit for the first time in their IPL history. They are the only team in IPL to have played playoffs in all the seasons in which they have played so far. They have only 3 wins in their first 9 games in this season so far and they need to win their remaining 5 games to stand a chance to qualify for the playoffs.
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They have suffered a body blow at this stage as the champion all rounder in Dwayne Bravo has sustained a groin injury in the game against Delhi Capitals and that was the reason why MS Dhoni threw the ball to Ravindra Jadeja in the last over when CSK needed 16 runs to defend the game which they didn’t against DC.
The match was firmly in CSK’s control after magnificent penultimate over from Sam Curran who gave just 4 runs under immense pressure which left 17 runs for the final over. When Dwayne Bravo was expected to bowl the final over, MS Dhoni decided to bowl Ravindra Jadeja and the reason behind it was injury to Dwayne Bravo.
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After the match, CSK coach Stephen Fleming said that,
He seems to have a right groin injury, I think, and it was obviously serious enough to keep him off the field. He’s obviously desperately disappointed that he couldn’t bowl the last over – that’s what he’s pretty much in the team for. He will have to be reassessed going forward, but at this stage you’d imagine it’s going to take a few days or a couple of weeks, but we will assess that tomorrow
CSK can technically make the playoffs if they win all their remaining games but they have one tough game against Mumbai Indians in Sharjah where CSK have lost both the games.
They have no other option but to bring in Imran Tahir who was the purple cap holder in 2019 in place of Dwayne Bravo who is all set to miss at least 2 more games for CSK. They will be playing RR in their next game in Abu Dhabi.
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