5 strategical mistakes made by CSK in IPL 2022

The four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have not looked confident this season with their performances and attitude on the field. They have not been able to secure a single victory in their four appearances in the tournament, so far. In their last league fixture on April 9, the Super Kings lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), failing to defend their total of 154 runs.

Apart from an average and inconsistent performance with the bat, CSK have not been proficient enough to pick wickets with the new ball or in the middle overs. Head coach Stephen Fleming recently admitted that losing four games – their worst ever in IPL history, has allowed nervousness and jitters to creep into the squad. The failure of experienced players, team management’s decisions, and injury issues have kept CSK devoid of victory this season.

5 strategical mistakes made by CSK in IPL 2022

5. Not retaining Faf du Plessis

The most consistent run-scorer for CSK in the last decade, Faf du Plessis, was not retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 mega auction. The former Proteas captain enjoyed a rich vein of form in the last season, scoring 633 runs. He played an integral role in Chennai winning their fourth coveted title. The right-handed batter played a match-winning knock of 86 runs off 59 balls in the title clash against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Du Plessis has consistently performed for CSK over the years. In his six appearances in IPL 2018, Faf scored 162 runs at an average of 32.40. He followed it up with 396 runs in 12 matches of IPL 2019 to help the team reach the finals. In the following edition, although CSK could not reach the playoffs, Faf du Plessis again emerged as the team’s highest run-scorer with 449 runs.

Chennai missed the trick by not retaining him ahead of the auction. In the 2022 edition, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) roped him in the auction and appointed him as the captain of the side. Faf du Plessis has already made his presence felt, accumulating a total of 138 runs in four innings. However, CSK has not found an apt replacement for the Proteas cricketer, which has haunted them so far in the 15th edition of the tournament.