How to turn the tide? What is in store for Dhoni and Co?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faces problems aplenty as it meets Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what is dubbed as a 'must-win' game for both the teams to make it to the play-off stage.

Champion team?

CSK hasn't been playing like the champion team it used to be: it gets choked while chasing small/modest totals, fails to put on mammoth totals while batting first and invariably misses out in controlling/getting the opposition out while bowling second. In short, CSK is plagued by all problems an out-of-form team faces. Fans, however, are still hoping for a miracle. They expect CSK to win all the five remaining matches to be in the reckoning to make it to the play-off stage.

A defeat on Monday night would lay to rest whatever hopes CSK might have in making the next stage. Not so surprisingly, RR is also in a similar situation as it too has the same number of wins, losses and points as CSK. Led by an out-of-sorts MS Dhoni (who dropped Dhawan at a crucial stage yesterday; had he taken the catch, things could have turned in CSK’s favour) who struggles with the bat, CSK needs to address many issues urgently to keep its fans’ interest and faith going.

Recipe for success?

Besides his own indifferent form, MSD may have to address the following core issues and ensure their occurrence if CSK is to make a serious attempt at redemption:

Team members– including the likes of Watson and Rayudu – ought to be told that they can’t take their places in the team for granted;

While batting first or second – basics should be adhered to: scoring at least fifty in the power-play should be ingrained in the minds of the top-order;
Watson can’t be pushed to run hard and is best used in the power-play;

Encouraging the likes of promising Jagadeesan and talented Ruturaj Gaikwad would help the team in the years to come; why is CSK not producing a Rahul Tewatia or a Rahul Tripathy or a Natarajan?

No justification to include Kedar Jadhav in the last match where - as usual - he did nothing of note: why is not being called on to bowl is a mystery!

Like all the teams do – MSD would do well to keep his main strike bowler Deepak Chahar available to bowl either the 19th or the 20th over; MSD baffled everyone by bowling Chahar out within the first 10 overs on Saturay;

Fielding ought to be extremely tidy: no more butter fingers. Captain should lead by example;

Try Imran Tahir out by axing one of the foreign players (even Bravo)!

Smith has hit some form in recent matches but his idea of asking Stokes to open is hasn’t benefitted the team. Bowling looks a bit jaded an RR has to go full steam against CSK to stop the latter.

Expected XI:

CSK: Watson, Sam Curran, du Plessis, Rayudu, Dhoni, Jadeja, Kedar/Imran, Bravo (Ngidi if he isn’t fit), Chahar, Shardul, Karn/Sai Kishore/Monu Kumar

RR: Uthappa, Stokes, Butler, Samson, Smith, Tewatia, Ryan Parag, Archer, Gopal, Unadkat, Tyagi