Chennai Super Kings (CSK), one of the most dominant franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, have found themselves in an unfamiliar position this season. CSK are a team that has made it to the playoffs almost every year, and their only group-stage exit from memory is one hand’s worth of counts. On the other hand, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been tagged consistently as underachievers, frequently being the subject of a laugh.
But this season, the storyline has changed. Punjab Kings registered a comeback with back-to-back wins after losing their opening match by a whisker to climb to the top four of the points table after three games. Their batting is in line, starting aggressively and completing with some good middle-order contributions. CSK have won just one of their other four matches as they lie near the bottom of the table. The middle order does not seem to be able to take that appetizing platform further than that and if their top three go early, they have been batting too heavily on the top three.
However, CSK do not show any sign of despondency. Defending the team’s early stumbles, assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram said that it takes a bit of time to find the right combination. “We don’t have a set batting order,” he explained, and Pat Howard said the team management was making the most judicious choices based on how conditions were in each case and against which opposition.
However, CSK have been a bright spot for them, their spin unit. Two members of the bowling attack that Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have been performing commendably have been Noor Ahmad. Sriram highlighted the strength of their bowling attack, which has restricted teams to around 180, a par score in today’s game.
With PBKS seeking betterment and CSK aiming to regroup, the meeting between the two sides will be one of the intriguing battles where roles have reversed.
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