In the Dream11 IPL 2020, If any team has been brutally exposed, that without any doubt is Chennai Super Kings (CSK). MS Dhoni’s Dad’s army is all but out of the IPL 2020 play-off race after registering their 7th defeat in 10 matches. According to sources, CSK’s management is ‘extremely disappointed and unhappy with the results’ and have cleared that, ‘few tough calls will have to be taken for the team’s future in the next edition’.
End of Road for CSK’s Dhoni era, fresh team way forward for IPL 2021 ?
The IPL 2020 is now a thing of past for CSK, their management and also the fans. Should they look beyond Dhoni’s trust in his old horses for IPL 2021 ?
According to a source close to the team management, some tough calls surely will be taken for the next edition.
“See as Fleming has said, lot of chinks in the armor has 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.
“But overall everyone is very unhappy and disappointed”
CSK Coach Stephen Fleming also admitted, ’team has run out of juice’
Coach Stephen Fleming also had admitted that, ageing team ‘has run out of juice’.
“It’s fair to say looking at the IPL table now that this team may have run out of juice,” head coach Stephen Fleming said in the post-match presentation, revealing that the morale in the dressing room was alarmingly low.
“If you’re looking at the three-year cycle – we won the first year; lost off the last ball last year; and we always thought that the third year with an ageing squad would be difficult. And Dubai [UAE] has challenged us with a whole new set of requirements,” he said.
CSK is the oldest team in IPL 2020 with average age of the team above 31. Dhoni’s over dependence on the theory of ‘experience at the cost of youth’ has fallen completely flat. It has raided eyebrows in every quarter.
“I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process. This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process… but the process of selection itself is wrong,” ESPN Cricinfo quoted Srikkanth as saying on Star Sports Tamil.
End of Road CSK’s DADS ARMY – Which players have seen their last IPL with CSK ?
The problem CSK will face while rebuilding the team for the next edition of IPL is that BCCI is yet to announce whether fresh auctions will be conducted for IPL 2021 or the same teams will be retained. CSK definitely will have to fight on the timelines if they decide to rebuild.
It is difficult to predict which players will be shunted out of the squad at this stage. But one thing is certain, in the name of continuity CSK promoters or management is unlikely to persist with ‘ageing’ unit. This means it will be end of the road for most of the seniors in the squad.
Players who will be in the firing line –
– Harbhajan & Raina are already through with their 3 year contract with CSK
– Shane Watson – Difficult to imagine that CSK will persist with Watson for the new edition. He doesn’t bowl anymore and his batting bereft of consistency left a lot to be desired this time.
– Kedar Jadhav – 8 games 60 odd runs, no sane management will persist with him for the next edition at the age of 36
– Piyush Chawla – Is also certain to get boot from CSK. 32 year old Chawla looked liability on the field and he bowled without any zing during the games he played
– Imran Tahir – Soon to be 42 is yet to get a game this IPL. No way he will be persisted for the next season
– Ambati Rayudu – He did well with opportunities he got but that charisma to win games on his own stays missed with Rayudu. He is another one who may get dropped for the next IPL
– Faf Du Plessis – Neither he failed in the batting nor his fitness is in doubt. He is also the 3rd highest scorer in Orange Cap List, but still CSK is unlikely to include him in the squad as they get on road to rebuild the squad for IPL 2021 and beyond
– MS Dhoni – He is a permanent fixture with CSK. To imagine CSK without him is impossible – but will he play another season – little difficult to fathom.
But for now CSK still has a small outside chance to qualify for IPL playoffs – but Fleming is not ready to give it too much of a importance.
“I think there’s an outside chance that we can possibly get through, but when you’re relying on other results and a change of form for your own team, it’s very hard to be upbeat and positive,” Fleming said, rather dejectedly.
It’s clear, CSK has already left all hopes for the season – they will rather stand good if they look to rebuild for the next season.
