IPL 2020: Strengths and Weakness of Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

 A well-balanced squad, the highlight as we look at the strengths and weakness(es) of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2020.

Chennai Super Kings began their IPL 2020 campaign by releasing few surplus players before the auction, and then adding Piyush Chawla, Sam Curran, R Sai Kishore, and Josh Hazlewood to their squad during the IPL 2020 Auction.

But, have Chennai Super Kings done the right purchases for IPL 2020. Do they have a squad that can compete in all the conditions, and on all the pitches? Let’s analyze the squad, and look at the strengths and weakness(es) of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2020. 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) final squad for IPL 2020: 

Batsmen	Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Murali Vijay, N Jagadeeshan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Suresh Raina
All-rounders	Dwayne Bravo, Kedar Jadhav, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Shane Watson
Bowlers	Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood, Karn Sharma, KM Asif, Lungi Ngidi, Monu Kumar, Piyush Chawla, R Sai Kishore, and Shardul Thakur.

Strengths of CSK for IPL 2020:

A Well-balanced Squad:

Ever since their comeback after the ban in 2018, Chennai Super Kings would be proud of the fact they have been able to recruit the right resources for the right positions, and have been able to sustain with them for a longer period of time.

Their squad has quality openers such as Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc., quality middle-order such as Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, and MS Dhoni, and quality all-rounders such as Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Mitchell Santner.

The bowling too has a great mix of quality pacers and spinners. While Imran Tahir leads the spin attack, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, and Karn Sharma add to their strengths. The pace attack is lead by Deepak Chahar, who is equally supported by Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, and Josh Hazlewood. 

If we ignore the backups for the time-being, Chennai Super Kings have once again done a brilliant job of recruiting players that allows them to field a perfect 11; at least for home conditions.

Spin Arsenal:

There’s one thing which the MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings are very good at, and that is their record in home conditions. Their spin attack is predominantly the reason they have an impeccable record at home. 

The likes of Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, and Mitchell Santner bring so much of versatility and experience to the table that the opposition finds it next to impossible to overcome CSK on slow and low pitches of Chennai. 

Moreover, the addition of Piyush Chawla and R Sai Kishore gives so much balance to CSK’s squad that they can even leave out Imran Tahir, their best spinner in order to prioritize their overseas combination. 

Solid Indian Core:

Another area that adds to Chennai Super Kings’ strengths, and it is their solid Indian Core. They might be one of the only few teams who can field a playing 11 without the need of playing an overseas player. That’s how good their Indian players are. 

They have good and solid Indian batsmen in the form of Ambati Rayudu, Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Kedar Jadhav. There’s Ravindra Jadeja as the all-rounder. They also have a good mix of spin and pace in the form of Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, and Shardul Thakur. 

All these make CSK a potent squad once again that has the right mix of Indian and overseas players. 

Weakness(es) of CSK for IPL 2020:

While Chennai Super Kings are a side full of strengths, there is a gray area too in their squad. So, what is the only weakness in their squad? 

Team for Away Pitches:

This was one area in which Chennai Super Kings struggled have struggled in the last two years. IPL 2019 saw them winning just 4 out of their scheduled 9 away games including the playoffs. This is not a good sign for a team that has an impeccable record at home.

So, what’s the main reason they don’t win much while playing away from home? Well, it is their pace department that lacks teeth if we compare to a team like Mumbai Indians or Sunrisers Hyderabad.

There no doubt about the quality of Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood, and even Shardul Thakur. But, to be honest, except for Deepak Chahar, the others may not come out good on bouncy and spicy tracks of Mohali, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata. 

CONCLUSION:

Given the squad for IPL 2020, Chennai Super Kings are almost sure of finishing in the top 4. Whether they go on to win the tournament is something that would depend on the pitch they play in the playoffs, and the form of their players. However, they have all the potential to claim their fourth IPL title. 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) strongest predicted playing 11 for IPL 2020:

Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla, and Lungi Ngidi. 

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