Chennai Super Kings are going through their worst run in history. So far, they have lost five matches in a row, including three at their home ground in Chepauk.
This is something they have never experienced before.
Although MS Dhoni returned as captain after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, it didn’t help. still lost their last game on Friday. Now, they must win against a confident Lucknow Super Giants side on Monday to stay in the playoff race.
Batting Remains a Major Concern
Due to repeated failures against spin at home, CSK’s batters might actually benefit from playing away. However, the absence of Gaikwad, their top run-scorer, makes their task even harder.
In recent years, critics have accused CSK of depending on older players. That criticism has grown louder after their current losing streak. Additionally, the team lacks explosive hitters. Dhoni himself admitted this. “Even targeting 60 runs in the powerplay is a tad too ambitious for them,” he said.
Moreover, openers Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway are technically strong. But expecting them to attack from the first ball doesn’t suit their natural game.
Middle Order Faces Pressure
Now that Gaikwad is injured, Rahul Tripathi has moved up to number three. Yet, he will feel the pressure to perform. Also, the team needs a better show from experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
So far, Shivam Dube has done most of the big hitting. But he can’t do it alone. Ideally, Dhoni would support him. However, Dhoni’s constant change in batting order, including coming in at number nine last time, makes that difficult.
Still, CSK remain hopeful. After their recent loss to KKR, batting coach Mike Hussey backed the team. “I still think we’ve got the right players. There’s a lot of talk about the style of our play. But the players we’ve got, we don’t want to ask them to play in a completely different way; that’s natural to them,” he said.
LSG on a Winning Streak
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants are full of confidence. They are looking for their fourth win in a row. While their bowling was weak at the start of the season due to injuries, it has improved a lot.
In their last match against Gujarat Titans, the bowlers performed brilliantly. After a strong start by GT, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shardul Thakur stopped the flow of runs in the final overs. This effort helped LSG secure a solid win.
Conditions Help LSG Batters
The pitch in Lucknow has usually been slow. However, this season it has been better for batters. This change suits players like Nicholas Pooran, who is striking the ball cleanly.
Meanwhile, the absence of Mitchell Marsh gave Rishabh Pant a chance to open the innings alongside Aiden Markram. Although Pant hasn’t been in top form, he did a decent job at the top.
Now the question is whether Pant will continue to open when Marsh returns. Since Marsh has been one of their top batters, Pant may have to return to the middle order.
Squads
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), David Miller, Aiden Markram, Aryan Juyal (wk), Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Ayush Badoni, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi.
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.