CSK management likely to make some 'tough calls' ahead of IPL 2021

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) has been an underwhelming season for the three-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) thus far with just three wins in ten fixtures. Though the team flourished with the same squad in the 2018 and 2019 edition, their theory of ‘experience over youth’ has flopped miserably in this season. Nothing has gone right for the Yellow Army as most of the players have failed to find the rhythm and are struggling with their poor forms.

After a disastrous run in the T20 extravaganza, all the players including the veteran skipper MS Dhoni are at the receiving end of harsh criticism. Reports suggest that the CSK management is ‘extremely disappointed and unhappy’ with the results and can take some harsh calls for the next edition. It is speculated that the franchise is looking at rebuilding the team from the scratch with investment in the young brigade.

“See as Fleming has said, a lot of chinks in the armor have been exposed this time. Some tough calls surely will be taken. The only issue is there is little time between now and the next edition,” said the concerned source on condition of anonymity as quoted by Inside Sport.

Though the team has an outside chance of making it to the playoffs, they have lost all the hopes and the morale is alarmingly low as their chances depend on their own performance along with the performance of other franchises in the league. It’s very hard for the franchise to be upbeat and positive in such circumstances.

Players who can be axed from the CSK squad

Deemed as Daddy’s Army, CSK is one of the oldest teams in IPL 2020 with the average age of the team above 31. If the fresh auctions would be conducted for the 2021 edition then the management is most likely to go for the young players who can effectively contribute to the team instead of Dhoni’s idea of ‘ageing unit’. As the Yellow Army is already in a mood of taking some ‘tough calls’, there are certain players in the squad who are most probably playing their last tournament for the Super Kings.

The first player who will be in the firing line is the 35-year-old Kedar Jadhav who has emerged as the biggest disappointment for the Yellow Outfit. The IPL 2020 can be Jadhav’s last outing in the cash-rich league as with just 60 odd runs in 8 games, no franchise would be looking forward to picking him.

There are little chances of inclusion of Shane Watson for IPL 2021 as though he has given a glimpse of his flamboyant batting in one or two games, he is more of a liability with his inconsistency with the bat. The experienced spinner Piyush Chawla is also unlikely to continue as there was no spark in his bowling and fitness is a major concern for the 32-year-old. South Africa’s Imran Tahir is next in the list as the veteran has not featured even in a single game in this season.

Further, though the likes of Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu have proved to be a vital cog in CSK’s batting line-up throughout the tournament, the management is unlikely to retain these two players as they will be focusing on the batters who will be having more international exposure in coming years.

Also, Rayudu has failed to perform the role of a match-winner as he has often lost his wicket poorly in the tournament. Last but not least in this long list is the skipper himself. Though it is tough to imagine CSK without MS Dhoni, the chances of him playing the next season are slim as MS has been seen battling with his poor form with the bat and fitness.