The Chennai Super Kings are all set to take on the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow, and Ravichandran Ashwin has instilled a sense of hope into the Chennai fans. "From what I have heard, he is fit & good to go,” Ashwin said about MS Dhoni. This would elate the CSK fans as they have long awaited the return of Dhoni, and it is the perfect time as well. MS Dhoni had missed the first half of the IPL due to an injury, but he was still seen in the nets and the practice sessions. He has been working hard towards his recovery, and he was reportedly looking all clear in the net sessions at Wankhede.
The Mumbai Indians found a bit of form in their previous game against the Gujarat Titans, and the skipper Hardik Pandya stated that “Things will change now”. The home team will be confident with the form of Tilak Varma and Ashwani Kumar. The Chennai Super Kings have been the wounded lions as they were handed a defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad after a short period of resurgence. It would be an exciting match to see as MS Dhoni will take the stage for the first time in the season, and the fans will be celebrating his arrival.
MS Dhoni’s role could be the game-changer in CSK’s middle-order rebuild
The Chennai Super Kings had a lean patch earlier on with a hat-trick of defeats on the trot to start the season. Then there was a period of resurgence for the Super Kings as they found their star signing, Sanju Samson, back amongst the runs. Ayush Mhatre and Sarfaraz Khan were consistent with the runs, and they put CSK in a comfortable position most of the time. Anshul Kamboj has been splendid as he holds the Purple Cap as of now. Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein did not look like a favourable option earlier on, but then they proved their worth against KKR. However, they have been hit with some injury concerns with Khaleel Ahmed and Ayush Mhatre being ruled out of the tournament.
It will be interesting to see how CSK will cope with the losses, as Ayush Mhatre has been their best batter along with Sarfaraz Khan, and he is an absolute match-winner. Khaleel Ahmed causes damage with the new ball, and his absence would alter the pace attack. With all the hype around the arrival of MS Dhoni, the question is where he would bat. The Chennai Super Kings are not in desperate need of a wicket-keeper, as they have Sanju Samson, but they would need a solid middle-order batter. MS Dhoni could play a huge role in this tournament if he walks in to bat up the order, maybe at 5 or 6, as CSK has issues in these areas. There is simply no meaning of his place in the squad if he walks in to bat at number 8 or 9, as, unlike last season, CSK do have an excellent wicket-keeper batter.
The Chennai Super Kings will be looking forward to securing a win against the Mumbai Indians, as they will need to get back to winning ways. CSK do have the potential to make it big,ig but it will be an uphill task from here on in with the injury concerns and their position in the points table.
