By far the most consistent side in the history of IPL, Chennai Super Kings won their 5th title in 2023. 10 final appearances in 14 years, is a consistency that is seldom seen in the realm of sports. Remember, they were banned for a couple of years due to misappropriation. As a yardstick to judge CSK, the next best team with the best consistency is Mumbai Indians. It will take another 10 years for them to match CSK’s performance. Ofcourse, by then, CSK is likely to leapfrog everyone into the unchartered realms. Right, now, how was the 2023 season for CSK? I will say, bloody brilliant. Let me elaborate on CSK IPL 2023 analysis.
The openers
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway laid the foundation for CSK in almost every game. Even in the finals, Conway’s runs at the top of the order provided an impetus for the team to chase down a stiff target. The pair combined to score 849 runs. This is a record for the most runs scored by an opening pair in a single season. Looking at Conway, it is almost impossible to believe that it is the same cricketer, who when he made his debut, spent close to 2 days to score a double hundred against England. He transforms himself into a beast in T20 cricket. New Zealand has definitely found a cricketer after Kane Williamson who can adapt to all the formats. At a period when Williamson’s career is meandering towards the end, Conway is likely to carry that torch further.
As for Gaikwad, he was exceptional in 2022 and now, he is picked up from where he left. He is young. If he keeps this consistency, he will surely be a partner for Shubman Gill for India and both have the ability to serve the country for a longtime.
The competition for Gaikwad is cut-throat. The belligerent 92 of just 50 balls in one of the league games was brilliant to watch for as long as it lasted. The heart warming aspect of that innings was the fact that he didn’t try to get to his hundred and instead looked to score as many runs as possible. The astounding aspect of Gaikwad’s batting was that he picked the lengths rather quickly and went on the backfoot or the frontfoot accordingly.
CSK management
Credit must be given where it is due. The CSK management. They kept their faith in Gaikwad despite his scores of 0, 5 and 0 in 2020. Soon after, he was down with Covid and if he had thought that his chances have come and gone, he wouldn’t have been wrong. However, that is not how CSK works. They invited him back into the team and reposed faith in him. This sort of galvanised Gaikwad and has since then become an important member of the CSK squad.
Dhoni’s appreciation
Dhoni was quite appreciative of his efforts
“Ruturaj, when he gets going, he’s a pleasure to watch,” Dhoni said. “Because he times the ball really well, uses the pace of the bowler and makes the right decisions. Under pressure, it’s all about making the right decisions. Over the years, the way he has groomed himself and the way he picks his options, especially when he gets going, he’s very pleasing on the eye.”
Shivam Dube & Rahane
What makes players who were not so successful for earlier franchises suddenly become good? Shivam Dube and Rahane were 2 such cricketers. Dube was hardly able to buy a run when he turned out in RCB’s colours. Time and again, he went in only to get out quickly and create more pressure on the remaining RCB batsmen. Rahane, be it Delhi or Kolkatta was never really trusted as a T20 batsman. Both of them, when they turned out in CSK’s colours, were different batsmen altogether. Rahane’s strokeplay was breathtaking.
Supporters of Indian cricket never knew this side of Rahane. We all know that he can play a few crisp shots and then get out but this side of Rahane was a revelation. One only wishes that he had batted in a similar abandon a few years ago for India which could have helped us win more games because it is too late now for Team India.
Jadeja’s form
The Indian team will be happy going into the WTC final. Jadeja picked up 20 wickets during the tournament and scored the all-important 10 runs off the final 2 deliveries in the finals. Jadeja will be among the eleven that will play in the finals against Australia. He holds the crucial allrounder’s spot. Runs from his bat will boost the Indian score and wickets will tilt the balance. As such, it is good to see Jadeja in form. He hardly has another 3-4 years of cricket left in him and he will have to make the most of it because his initial years were anything but good.
The inexperienced bowlers
Dhoni was left to operate with inexperienced bowlers. Pathirana with a Malinga-like action was the find of the tournament with 19 wickets, mostly during the final stages. Tushar Deshpande ended up with 21 wickets and Deepak Chahar chipped in with 13 of his own. These names are hardly household names and yet, they made it count when it mattered.
The Dhoni factor
Dhoni’s hitting is behind him. In most of the games, he batted a lowly as number 7. He does not have much confidence in his batting anymore and it is understandable. He is in his early 40s. T20 cricket is certainly not for older players. Yet, he continues to inspire the team. His role in the team currently seems to be captaincy. A la Mike Brearley.
Lessons to be learned
Bowling, for all their inexperience, is still a worry. Consistently, they gave away far too many runs. The batsmen were able to transcend the shortcoming of the bowlers by either posting huge totals or chasing one. Nevertheless, CSK will have to ensure that they have good bowlers at their disposal.
Another disappointment was the unavailability of Ben Stokes for almost the entire tournament. For a 16 Crore purchase, this was a body blow for CSK. There are rumours that Stokes is likely to takeover from Dhoni in a year or two. If that is the case, they will need a fully fit and committed Stokes to lead the team for the next 5 years.
Concluding CSK IPL 2023 analysis
5th title has been won. Celebrations all-around. However, they will have to answer the Dhoni question. Do they seem him leading the team in 2026?
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