CSK need a reality check

No team – not even Mumbai Indians, the most successful side with four titles - has been as consistent in the 13-year history of the Indian Premier League as Chennai Super Kings. It must be noted that CSK have appeared in only 11 of the 13 editions, slapped as they were with a two-year suspension that kept them out in 2016 and 2017. At the start of Season 13, they held the enviable record of being the only team to make the knockouts/play-off stage in each of their 10 previous appearances.

But with just three wins from 11 matches so far this season in the UAE, the three-time champions’ fairy-tale run is over for all practical purposes. Mathematically, CSK still have a chance of progressing, but even they know that the possibility of that eventuating is about as bright as an inoffensive Donald Trump speech.

So, what’s gone wrong with a team helmed by one of the most inspirational captains the game has ever seen in M S Dhoni and an astute coach in Stephen Fleming, whose coming together seemed a match made in heaven? How did a franchise that foresaw such potential in Dhoni that it broke the bank in spending more than Rs 6 crore for his services in the first-ever player auction not see this coming?

Sporting meltdowns aren’t unheard of. Liverpool, 18-time champions of England’s premier football league, had to wait 30 years after their 1989-90 triumph to grab a 19th crown. Ferrari, once the most dominant force in F1 with 18 constructors’ titles, have been searching for their 19th since 2008, now struggling to put their drivers on even the last step of the podium.

Sport isn’t hostage to either reputation or sentiment. If that were so, Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter ever, wouldn’t have been beaten in his swansong 100M race at the 2017 World Championships. Sport respects and rewards efficiency and efficacy. Cricket might appear physically less demanding than fast-paced team sports like football or hockey which require greater intensity, but over shorter periods. The game of bat and ball is as much about skill as fitness. But to execute those skills under pressure, a player’s mind and body need to be in perfect sync. And few other disciplines are as heavily influenced by extraneous factors like overhead and underfoot conditions.

CSK’s doomed campaign has its origins in an untimely coming together of the worst of the above factors. Their preparation was as underwhelming as one can envisage, particularly because the make-up of the squad blunted their edge in this pandemic-hit world.

Not an ideal start

CSK began training earlier than anyone else in Chennai. In hindsight, that was to their detriment. As many as 14 members of the extended squad, including players Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, were tested positive shortly after their arrival in the UAE. That meant the entire CSK squad had to be under quarantine for an additional week, which in turn delayed the resumption of practice. Close on the heels of this shocker, Suresh Raina -- their most prolific run-maker and Dhoni’s understudy – walked out of the team and left the UAE under controversial circumstances. Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s pull-out, citing safety concerns stemming from the Covid-19 threat, was demoralising if nothing else.

Covid-19 break

The long Covid-19 break for all activities was always going to affect the CSK players more than any other team, as a sizable and integral portion of their squad is on the wrong side of 35. It’s always more difficult for a weather-beaten older player to regain match fitness in a short period of time after a long phase of inactivity. This has clearly been noticeable among many CSK members, who are found wanting in fitness. Dwayne Bravo looked woefully out of sorts before being ruled out of the event, Shane Watson is a liability if he doesn’t score runs, no one apart from Dhoni can understand the continued presence of Kedar Jadhav in the playing 11, and Ambati Rayudu appears past his sell-by date. These one-time war-horses might pull off a win here and there, but clearly, they are no longer championship material. As Fleming himself admitted after their loss to Rajasthan Royals earlier in the week, “The team has run out of juice.”

Needed, Dhoni of yore

At 39, he is still one of the fittest players in the IPL, his running between the wickets and undiminished quality behind the stumps bearing testimony. Dhoni’s batting prowess, however, has totally deserted him. Even young and inexperienced bowlers no longer fear his famed late onslaught. There is respect because of what he has done, but the fear factor that was Dhoni’s USP has permanently disappeared. He can still generate some awe with an occasional big six, but he is no longer the finisher he once was. The former India captain took a longer break from the game than his ageing body could afford. The opening match of IPL 2020 was his first competitive outing in 14 months. You may be Dhoni but the game is slave to nobody. One needs to respect that.

Ignoring youngsters

Reposing faith in senior players had yielded results for CSK in the last two years – they won their third title, on their comeback, in 2018 and finished runners-up to Mumbai last season. It’s possible that if IPL 2020 had been held as per schedule during the March-May window at the original venues, there might have been a different tale to tell. The delay not only left them a half-year older but it also compromised their fitness. A team inundated with veterans had few young legs to rely on. The ones available weren’t given a consistent run because, according to Dhoni, they “lacked the spark” that merited faith in them.

What’s the road ahead?

Two years ago, when Fleming was asked about CSK’s slant towards older players, he retorted that the franchise’s objective was to win titles, not groom talent. Those words must be haunting him now. While experience is invaluable, the importance of youth can’t be overstated. CSK desperately need a systemic overhaul, but there isn’t much time between this and the next edition. They might eventually get there, but their glory days are some distance away.