With three-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffering three straight defeats and struggling for peak form in all departments of the game, former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar was of the opinion, captain MS Dhoni has some difficult choices to make in terms of selection as they strive to regain the lost mojo in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
Ahead of the team's fifth game of the campaign in Dubai on Sunday (October 4) against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Manjrekar assessed where things have gone wrong for CSK so far and what could be the way forward in his column for the Times of India.
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"Will Chennai drop Shane Watson? He has looked woefully out of form so far. It's a question many are asking but those who know MS Dhoni really well, will know the answer to it. No chance! That's not his style," wrote Manjrekar. "But having said that, he has gone about tweaking his side a little which he does not like doing."
"He got in Shardul Thakur while retaining Deepak Chahar, Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo, so he has accepted the fact that he needs more than five bowlers, if Ravindra Jadeja is one of his five. This allowed him to bowl Jadeja just two overs in their last game against Hyderabad."
In the game versus SRH, Dhoni had more bowling options up his sleeves with the return of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and comeback man Ambati Rayudu was also expected to bolster the top six. However, indiscipline in the field, with the ball and failure to hit boundaries through the middle-overs with the bat held the side back once again.
"So the great captain has had to change his ways a bit and may be when the time comes, he may even change his basic principles too, one of which is to not tamper with the team too much. For this is an unfamiliar situation for him. Who knows we may see Dhoni do what is often associated with Virat, constant churning of players in and out of the playing XI," Manjrekar added.
Manjrekar also batted for the inclusion of wrist-spinner Imran Tahir, who hasn't yet featured in the team's playing XI. But who to drop Tahir for, Manjrekar conceded, is a very tough one.
"Chennai got their eleven mostly right in the last game, but can afford to go one seamer short after encouraging performances from Shardul and Chahar. Dhoni could rest Bravo or Watson to get Imran Tahir in," he wrote.
"Tahir was brilliant for them last season albeit on different pitches but Dhoni wants his bowling attack to have an edge on good pitches. leg-spinner Tahir may give it more than Bravo. I concede these are difficult choices."
In a larger point made on batting approach this tournament, Manjrekar mentioned how some players are taking too much time to get going, putting more pressure on fellow batsmen and ultimately leaving their team too much ground to cover for the death-overs.
"That's about the team composition but what's been quite glaring to see so far in the tournament has been the approach of many batsmen including a few from Chennai. A lot of them are playing in third gear, most of the innings deliberately reining themselves in hope to have a final flourish in the end. They are taking this tactic a bit too far for their own good, leaving themselves too much to get in the end."
"And let's not forget towards the end, are also lurking some quality bowlers so it's not easy to take them on. Chennai's batsmen like Ambati Rayudu could do well to stay in the moment and get the best at the time rather than plan for later. Some of Delhi's batsmen are also guilty of sticking to this flawed approach," Manjrekar added.
From KXIP's perspective, their middle-order, especially the form of Glenn Maxwell, and the death-overs bowling have definitely hurt the side so far. They have faced three defeats in four outings, including one win. Two of those losses could easily have been wins if KL Rahul's men had played better cricket in crunch moments.
"Punjab have just two areas to sort out, one the Maxwell issue and his 'perpetual out of form' situation which is baffling, but, that also means that Sarfaraz Khan and Krishnappa Gowtham, two dangerous T20 batsmen, are getting under-utilised because Punjab want to give Maxwell the platform."
"The other issue for Punjab is their death bowling, best to stay real I think and finish Cottrell off early and get Jordan back in place of Neesham to bowl in the death," Manjrekar signed off.
