NEWS
Follow UsFollowing their fourth defeat of the Indian Premier League 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (April 23), Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that they are yet to figure out their best combination.
The Men in Yellow started the season with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra at the top, with Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube and Daryl Mitchell to follow. CSK then pushed Rahane to the top and brought Gaikwad down to No. 3. Mitchell was dropped for a game before being brought back in place of out-of-form Rachin.
Against LSG, CSK opened with Gaikwad and Rahane. Mitchell batted at No.3 and Ravindra Jadeja at No.4. Gaikwad slammed 108* off 60 deliveries but the other three could only manage 28 off 32 between them.
"It's a mix of trying to find that (the best XI), and also a bit of form. We are little bit uncomfortable with some areas, so we're just trying to find not a quick fix but try and find the right combination," said Fleming at the post-match press conference.
"And who are the players that are going to contribute in the back-end of the tournament the most, we've got another change coming up with Mustafizur (Rahman) in a couple of games. So we're just trying to prepare a side that will give us a run home.
“We have had injuries, we have been a little bit unsettled. But the main thing is getting guys in key areas and in form. And sometimes that will take a bit of time. Yeah, there has been some change - some of it has been forced upon us and some of it has been form.”
Talking about Mitchell, who has scored 146 runs across seven innings at an average of 24.33 and a strike rate of 123.72, Fleming said: “There's a lot of pressure, obviously. But getting him (Mitchell) up the order is more comfortable for him I think, or me putting him down the order in a hitting role wasn't his best position.
“So we're looking to redefine that and put him up the order where his best performances have been internationally. And that might take a little bit of time. But certainly, the top three need to contribute the majority of the runs. Ruturaj did that today, so hopefully if he can continue his form and the other guys can pick that up...we're in each game, we're not firing in all cylinders in any means but we're in each game.”
The surfaces at Chepauk haven’t been spin-friendly this season, so the Super Kings haven’t been able to use Maheesh Theekshana. Even against LSG, CSK used only four overs of spin. “We've had one pitch, which was an excellent one, I think. It turned and we won comfortably. Yeah, I'd like more synergy between the pitch and what we're trying to do.
“And I'd unashamedly say that it's your home ground, you got to defend and you pick teams accordingly. So when it's out of sync, you find it very difficult. It's not quite right yet but you just got to be good enough to play what's in front of you. We know that we can be stronger if conditions were a little bit different.
"If you look at that we've got spinners in the side, Theekshana as well. But it nullifies that when there's nothing really going on and then there's the dew as well makes it very difficult. We can wish for it, but if we don't get it we just have to get on with it.
"So that's what we're doing. But it does take a key component out of our attack. We've got Pathirana who's a weapon, Fizz has done well when it's slow but the spin department has been made redundant and I'd love it to change.”
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