Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will not make the IPL playoffs for the first time in the history of the competition when they have taken part. They entered the 2020 IPL with betting odds that showed they were one of the top three IPL franchises expected to win the IPL championship.
CSK has had a terrible season so far and currently sit at the bottom of the IPL points table having played 11 matches, losing eight and winning just three. Captain MS Dhoni had tried to put on a brave face after each loss but has finally admitted that the men in yellow have just not clicked this season.
Dhoni has received some flak during the IPL for continuing to stick with veteran players and not try out some of the younger members of the squad. Now that it is a given that CSK can no longer make the playoffs, MS Dhoni has confirmed that they will give the younger players an opportunity to showcase their skills.
Veterans Must Give Way To Younger Players
CSK should look to try the likes of Monu Kumar, Sai Kishore and KM Asif who have yet to play a game this season. They will also look to give N Jagadeesan and R Gaikwad a few more opportunities as they look to see which of these players can make a push to be a part of the playing XI next season.
MS Dhoni has confirmed that the team will use the remaining matches as a rebuilding process to prepare for 2021. Given that S Raina and H Singh sat out this IPL and are at the end of their CSK contracts, it is highly unlikely that they will be retained for 2021.
CSK has some shedding to do as they have too many veteran players in their squad and most of them are overseas players. CSK will have to thanks Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, M Vijay and K Jadhav for their services and drop them. Some of these players like Faf du Plessis have played a couple of good knocks but given the way CSK has performed, it is time for wholesale seasons.
MS Dhoni need to give the younger overseas players like M Santner, J Hazelwood and L Ngidi a few more games to see if CSK should retain them for 2021. The performance of these players in the remaining games could determine their future with CSK for IPL 2021.
Will MS Dhoni Stay Or Go?
One of the big questions that CSK will have to answer is whether they believe MS Dhoni is the man to lead them in IPL 2021. CSK owners stated prior to IPL 2020 that they believe MS Dhoni can continue to play till 2021. However, will they keep him on as the captain or just retain him as a player.
MS Dhoni looks a shadow of himself both as a batsman and a captain. A lot of MSD fans believe it is time for him to retire from the IPL but MS Dhoni has given no indication about retirement. On the contrary, he has talked about rebuilding CSK for IPL 2021 which indicates that he not only will continue to play next year but has no plans on relinquishing the captaincy.
To keep MS Dhoni as captain and rebuild a new CSK team does not bode well for CSK in the long run. If MS Dhoni continues to cling on to the leadership role, CSK will have to make a tough decision and remove Dhoni as captain. Some pundits think MS Dhoni should stick around as a player and use his experience to rebuild the side whereas others believe a new captain should enforce his ideas and vibe on the team for 2021.
