IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings are beating the odds and in style!

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has evoked a never-seen-before frenzy from fans, especially down south of the nation. After all, the Chennai Super Kings have returned to the tournament after a two-year-long hiatus and let’s face it, IPL isn’t IPL without the yellow-clad men! What seems surreal is the ease with which the CSK outfit has started off their trophy quest, as if they’d never been away from the game in the first place. However, the MS Dhoni-led side hasn’t been without its share of skeptics and critics!

If one delves into the past, CSK’s success rates are bound to bring about a considerable amount of astonishment. In the eight seasons that they’ve played in, CSK has laid their hands on the dazzling trophy twice, in the consecutive years of 2010 and 2011. But more importantly, they’ve been to the finals four more times, thus indicating towards the enormous strength and firepower the Chennai Super Kings side have maintained throughout the years. Interestingly, it was their decision to stick to the old guns that raised quite a few eyebrows during the IPL 2018 auctions.

Skeptics shake their heads and click their tongues after the auctions

A majority of the critics and fans who were following the CSK purchases in the IPL 2018 auctions were incredulous at the choice of players that the high-profile side laid out on the tables. After the obvious decision of retaining the golden trio of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Suresh Raina, the following gains made by the franchise included the likes of Shane Watson, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo and Imran Tahir, or the ‘senior quota’ to put it mildly.

More people than not felt this to be a bad move in a tournament that had seen youngsters like Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya rise in the ranks and win matches for their sides. An interesting fact to note here is that the average age of players in the Chennai Super Kings squad is 29, with 11 players in the age bracket of 30 and above. Further, both their key spinners Imran Tahir (38) and Harbhajan Singh (37) are the oldest players in the CSK outfit in a tournament where Indian U-19 cricketers were gobbled up by teams in the blink of an eye for hefty amounts.

CSK Coach Stephen Fleming begs to differ

Critics viewed this tactic as a time warp that the CSK side was stuck in and many predicted that this might prove to be the Achilles’ Heel for the side as their fielding prowess as well as the lower-middle order batting firepower was likely to be compromised by age. However, CSK coach Stephen Fleming put a stop to all the ridicule that their player choices were being subjected to by explaining the psyche behind their decision.

Expressing his thoughts on the jibes CSK had to face right after the ‘old buys’, Fleming told reporters, “The notion that we bought an old side on day one of the auction was right. I value experience, we always have and if the professional player is in shape and performing well, I think they’re a valuable asset. There’s also about the quality of player, like [Dwayne] Bravo is still competing well, [Shane] Watson’s competing well, Harbhajan has a great skill set, Dhoni is a fine leader. So, the players we’ve picked, I don’t think they’re spent by any means. It’s a year-by-year proposition, and this year I think they look very good.”

Decoding CSK’s preference for the senior troupe

Flemings’ words couldn’t have had a truer ring to them. As CSK got down to business in the IPL, all the speculation about age was put to rest at once. Winning two out of the first three games resoundingly and losing the third one by just a 4-run margin is no mean feat! What CSK has cleverly achieved is ten times more valuable than taking a gamble with raw, young talent. Simply put, the Men in Yellow have chosen to rest their faith in experience rather than in sudden sparks. Players like Harbhajan, Watson, and Tahir carry with them years of expertise not just in the IPL, but in international Cricket played over different continents.

Armed with such a vast treasure trove of cricketing knowledge and expertise, Chennai Super Kings have a unique power that very few of the other teams do. They’re able to back themselves to such an immense extent that the opposition is left outfoxed. For example, in both their recent outings, the CSK top-order batsmen scored stealthily, picking up ones and two’s while facing healthy targets as if luring the opposition bowlers to become complacent. And bam, came in Bravo or Dhoni or Sam Billings with all guns blazing, whisking the game away from right under the opponents’ noses!

Make no mistake though, CSK does have a fresh crop of players in the likes of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, and Chaitanya Bishnoi. But it’s the older crop that seems to be doing the trick for them. While their highest run-scorer is Ambati Rayudu (32) right now with 110 runs in 3 innings, their leading wicket-taker is Watson (36) with 5 wickets to his name. Also, who can forget Bravo’s blistering innings worth 68 runs off 30 balls against Mumbai Indians just a few days back? Or MS Dhoni’s picture-perfect 79-run knock off just 44 balls with a sore back, although in a losing cause? Fun fact, Bravo is 34 years of age, Dhoni is 36. But then, as they say, age is just a number and Chennai Super Kings are beating the odds with some panache!