Follow UsOn March 28 (Friday), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered one of their most humiliating defeats ever, slipping to a 50-run loss at the hands of arch-rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). It was both CSK’s worst-ever loss at Chepauk and their first loss at Chepauk to RCB in 17 years.
The game, in all fairness, was sealed in the powerplay of the chase, but CSK, nevertheless, took a questionable tactical call in the chase, promoting Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of MS Dhoni. CSK needed 117 off 43 balls when Shivam Dube got out, but it was Ashwin who walked in at No.8.
Dhoni only walked in during the 16th over, at 99/7, but the game was as good as done when he came out. The 30* off 16 balls the CSK skipper hit towards the end proved to be a mere consolation.
“Why did Ashwin come to bat at No.8? Maybe during that time, MS Dhoni could have walked in," former CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath questioned, reviewing the game on his YouTube channel.
"At the end of the 12th over, I had a thought that Dhoni could have walked out instead of Ashwin. Dhoni is still a better hitter than Ashwin, and he showed it. He scored 30 off 16 balls. Maybe there could have been a chance had he walked in earlier.”
Badrinath was further baffled by CSK’s decision not to open with Gaikwad this season. CSK has opened with Rahul Tripathi so far, and it’s proven to be a disaster, with the right-hander managing just seven runs across two innings so far.
“Why is Ruturaj Gaikwad not opening the batting? He has to open. Gaikwad is at his best as an opener. It doesn’t matter who plays alongside him, but Gaikwad has to open. I don’t know why Tripathi is opening. Starting at 0/0 compared to walking in at the fall of a wicket is a huge difference. I feel Gaikwad should open,” he said.
CSK next take on the struggling Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on March 30 (Sunday).