3 major areas of concern for CSK ahead of the playoffs

By making it to the final four of a season for the ninth consecutive time, Chennai Super Kings have once again stamped their supremacy in the league stage of Indian Premier League.

Led by a resurrected MS Dhoni, the men from Chennai have won enough games to guarantee themselves a spot in the top two of the table. With all the departments chugging away just fine, CSK seem to be on the right track going into the playoffs.

However, like any other team in cricket, the men in yellow too, have a few grey areas that need to be dealt with before these could hurt them at the tournament's crucial stage. Here are 3 major concerns that the CSK management would be hoping to deal with before the playoffs get rolling.

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#3 Ground fielding

CSK hasn't been stringent when it comes to saving runs on the field

With numerous players in the regular eleven being above 30 years old, Chennai was never expected to put up exquisite fielding displays on show. However, as Dhoni pointed out earlier, it is the awareness on the field that needs to be precise for the team to showcase a decent fielding effort.

While the dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities haven't helped CSK's cause, the inability to keep the run flow down through tight ground fielding has frustrated the fans.

With athletic fielding being traded off to sporting an experienced bunch of cricketers, the likes of Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sam Billings would be expected to lead the fielding contingent with their sharp on-field exploits.

Come the playoffs, the team management would be hoping for a better show on the field by the men in yellow.

#2 Suresh Raina's inconsistency

Suresh Raina hasn't been at his best in IPL 2018

With 330 runs in 12 games, that includes three fifties, Suresh Raina hasn't quite set the eleventh edition of IPL on fire by his standards. The fact that he has managed to hit a mere 9 sixes in the tournament thus far, which is contrary to his tag of being a pinch hitter, stands as a testimony to his dip in form over the seasons.

Hailed as one of the greatest batsmen in the tournament, Raina continues to stand as CSK's vital cog in the batting department. While the bulk of the scoring this season has been done by Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, and MS Dhoni, the southpaw hasn't really been put in the spotlight for helping his team post mammoth totals on the scoreboard.

Known to be a big-match player, Suresh Raina would be itching to bring out his best game in the playoffs. Having played many crucial knocks for CSK in the past, the man from Uttar Pradesh would certainly be backing himself and so would the yellow army.

#1 Death Bowling

CSK's death bowling has been an area of major concern

Chennai Super Kings' death bowling has been giving plenty of headaches to the team management and fans alike. Despite possessing some of the best death bowlers in its ranks, the team's wheels seem to be coming off in the final overs where the bowlers end up conceding a flurry of fours and sixes.

A prime reason behind CSK's dismal performance with the ball at the death has been Dwayne Bravo's poor run of form. The West Indian, who has been a champion of death bowling over the years, seems to be fizzling off his colour. He hasn't been able to get his length right at the death and has been taken to the cleaners by the batsmen, with Harshal Patel's onslaught against him being the latest example.

While it remains to see if Dhoni continues to repose faith in Bravo in the playoffs, the likes of Lungi Ngidi and Shardul Thakur will have to be ready to take the mettle of finishing off the job on a better note if the need arises.