CSK will have the task of ensuring Dolphins do not topple their apple-cart
CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni gestures during a training session on Sunday. (Photo: R. Samuel)
Bengaluru: In terms of experience and exposure, Chennai Super Kings and Dolphins are as different as chalk and cheese. Two-time champions Super Kings are loaded with star power and game changers. In stark contrast, Dolphins, the tournament debutants come with raw talent who are mostly inexperienced on Indian soil. In fact the only name that rings a bell in the squad is that of their coach Lance Klusener.
Having said that, when the two teams face-off under lights at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here on Monday, it makes for an interesting contest.Both sides come into their second outing in the ongoing Champions League T20 tournament on the back of morale-sapping defeats.While Dhoni’s men ran into IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening encounter and crashed to a three-wicket loss, the South African unit lost an agonising last-ball thriller against Perth Scorchers on Saturday.
Super Kings will have the task of ensuring the little-known team does not topple their applecart. On the other hand, the Dolphins, bursting with energy but without too much expectations, will have a free go in the contest.The Chennai team boosts of one of the strongest batting line-up, but on the opening night against the Knight Riders in Hyderabad on Wednesday, their top and middle order faltered like misfiring amateurs and failed to convert steady starts into big knocks.
Looking to make amends and getting some points on board, CSK will be wary of the unknowns and could use some tips from the South Africans in their team like Faf du Plessis. The other concern for the team will be their bowling. While Ashish Nehra seemed to have found a new rhythm, the same cannot be said about Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey who looked a little wayward and given the conditions, a green-laced wicket may not have much to offer for spinners like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
The Dolphins’ who are without their super star David Miller, who opted to turn out for Kings XI Punjab, will bank on the experience of their skipper Morne van Wyk and the pace power of Kyle Abbott. Although Dolphins, the T20 champions at home go into the match with the underdog tag, their ability to push their limits and perform as a unit will ensure the Super Kings don’t take their opponents lightly.
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