CSK's new No. 1 is actually a No. 3 - and other tactical tweaks to revive IPL 2024 campaign

On his IPL debut back in 2020, Ruturaj Gaikwad batted at No. 5 for CSK. He danced down the track to Rahul Tewatia, who was then a bowler who could bat for the Rajasthan Royals, and was stumped by a country mile - and an extra yard, for good measure - off his first ball.

In the next game, Gaikwad earned a promotion, if you can call it that, to No. 4. He faced 10 balls for five runs before being run out, epitomizing the kind of miserable campaign MS Dhoni and Co. were having. At that point, the young batter's career with the franchise hung in the balance.

1,289 days later, Gaikwad has 1,885 runs in the IPL. 56 matches into the league, the 27-year-old finds himself as the captain of the most successful franchise in the competition, and has opened the batting in all of his other innings for the Men in Yellow.

How did that happen? Well, CSK were willing to look past the five-ball duck he bagged in his first match as opener and give him a long rope. Gaikwad reeled off three successive fifties in his last three matches of IPL 2020, and the rest, as they say, is history. The spark blossomed into a raging fire, from which two IPL trophies emerged.

But Gaikwad and CSK have reached a key inflexion point in their journey together. Dhoni is still around, but restricted to a few celebrated appearances on camera and fewer balls at the end of each innings. The onus is on the new skipper to fashion a reality where the wheels are turning smoothly.

With two losses in their last two IPL 2024 matches, the Super Kings have hit a pothole. And while they're the last team to press the panic button usually, they're a smart team, which is why their disastrous tactical display against the SunRisers Hyderabad was concerning.

Radical changes might be the only way for Chennai to arrest their slump in a league where the only thing more certain than a midtable logjam is a Strategic Timeout before the 10th over.

It might be time for Gaikwad to return to the place where it all started, away from the top of the order. Not too far, though, since there's a No. 3 spot waiting for him with his name written on it in big, block letters. It's time for CSK to take a Strategic Timeout.

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Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane need to switch spots

Ruturaj Gaikwad could be best suited to No. 3 [Image Courtesy: iplt20.com]

In his IPL career, Gaikwad strikes at 113.08 against pace in the powerplay. There have been a few variations in his approach, such as last year, when he was a touch more aggressive at the start of the campaign, but the trend has largely held true.

When Gaikwad had a pace shield in the form of Faf du Plessis at the other end in 2021, he was more than happy to accumulate and win the Orange Cap as CSK coasted to the title.

In IPL 2022, Gaikwad suffered a drastic dip in form that coincided with Du Plessis' departure. Caught out by early movement, his average against pace in the powerplay was just 24, in stark contrast to his IPL career average that is on the right side of 40.

A player as good as the 27-year-old was always going to improve, and Gaikwad returned to his run-scoring ways in IPL 2023. CSK won another title, and he played a pivotal role where he showed his versatility and an excellent understanding with Devon Conway, who finished as the side's leading run-getter.

Meanwhile, since joining CSK, Ajinkya Rahane has a strike rate of 193.98 against pace in the powerplay. He also averages 51.6 in that phase, a number that is significantly higher than Gaikwad's despite the latter adopting a more risk-free approach.

By moving Gaikwad to No. 3, CSK can partner Rachin Ravindra with Rahane, a player who is not only assured against lateral movement but also adept at maximizing the field restrictions. The veteran batter is no stranger to opening the batting, having done that for most of his IPL career, and his revamped pace-hitting version can be truly unleashed.

This would fix the entry point issue CSK are currently facing. Rahane is coming in at the end of the powerplay, and he is forced to take singles against the spinners in the middle overs while being dependent on a batter - usually Shivam Dube - to take them on at the other end.

Instead, Rahane can do what he does best in better batting conditions, without the prospect of having to face spin. Even if he does, he should be able to get a few boundaries away with only two fielders outside, and there's always the option of turning strike over to Ravindra.

There is an added benefit to fielding Gaikwad at No. 3. If he bats alongside Dube or Rahane, he will be able to accelerate against both pace and spin depending upon his partner. One of the best players of hard lengths among Indian batters, the CSK skipper will be able to juggle both roles with a flexibility that is rarely associated with the others in the lineup.

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Other tactical tweaks - Deepak Chahar to bowl only two in the powerplay, and a second debut for Shardul Thakur?

Deepak Chahar has been off color in IPL 2024 [Image Courtesy: iplt20.com]

Over the years, Deepak Chahar has gotten used to bowling three overs in the powerplay, but it just isn't working anymore. He has an economy rate of 8.84 in that phase this year, having sent down three overs in each of CSK's four matches so far.

The T20 game and the impact player rule have allowed teams to take risks like never before, and Chahar is bearing the brunt of that. He doesn't have the stock pace to make his slower ones particularly effective, and without much swing in his second and third overs, he has been taken to the cleaners.

That doesn't mean Chahar has lost all value, though. The 31-year-old could still turn out to be a smart operator in the middle overs, where he concedes runs at only 7.63 in his IPL career. With his cutters and the two-bouncer rule, he could be tough to get away at any ground with even marginally bigger square boundaries.

A second debut for Shardul Thakur is another possibility for the Super Kings to consider. He might not have the pace of Tushar Deshpande or the death-bowling smarts of Matheesha Pathirana, but he gets things done.

Thakur's best years came at CSK, and if he is fielded in a four-pronged pace attack instead of Mustafizur Rahman, the Super Kings could boost their struggling batting by fielding both Moeen Ali and Daryl Mitchell. Speaking of the batting order...

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Is it time for CSK to shelve the Daryl Mitchell experiment?

Mitchell celebrates: India v New Zealand - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

Signed for well north of ₹10 crore at the IPL 2024 auction, Daryl Mitchell has failed to live up to the hype. The Kiwi's limited range has been found out this year - while he has hit a couple of sixes against spin, he has a strike rate of 117.02 against pace.

Trying to force the ball down the ground hasn't worked for Mitchell, who also hasn't been able to connect with his pulls off hard lengths. That has been a particularly painful watch when he has batted alongside either Shivam Dube or Ravindra Jadeja, who have issues of their own.

Mitchell is still a quality player, but CSK might get more value out of playing Moeen Ali. The Englishman gives them an off-spin matchup option with the ball and could serve as the second spinner if Mustafizur joins Matheesha Pathirana in the pace attack.

Sameer Rizvi's spin-hitting ability has been used for only four balls in IPL 2024, and he could slot in for Mitchell. Either way, it's clear that the middle order needs a rejig.

Batting coach Mike Hussey spoke about MS Dhoni wanting to manage his recovery from knee injury, but if the former captain is fit enough to play, then he should be able to come up the order. Dhoni simply must bat ahead of Jadeja, whose batting has experienced a sharp nosedive over the last few years.

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CSK aren't the kind of team to chop and change, but they're also not the kind of team to turn a blind eye to the numbers

MS Dhoni might need to have a word with Ruturaj Gaikwad [Image Courtesy: iplt20.com]

The numbers paint a vivid, clear picture. Gaikwad needs to bat at No. 3, and Rahane needs to open. Chahar needs to bowl not more than two in the powerplay, unless the conditions allow it. Moeen must be part of the side, especially if Maheesh Theekshana isn't.

CSK aren't the kind of team to ring in the changes after just two defeats, but they're also not the kind of team to turn a blind eye to the underlying statistics. With the advent of the impact player rule, the Men in Yellow need to adapt. And that isn't too much to expect from a team that has been far ahead of the curve, for the most part, in T20 cricket.

The loss to the SunRisers Hyderabad should serve as a wake-up call - not because it was the second on the trot but because it was a uncharacteristically poor implementation of the most basic tactics. Fundamentals make any team, and CSK veered away from them in both innings.

Chennai have an excellent roster, with Dhoni's wizened eye watching over his successor. It might be time for Thala to have a word with Gaikwad and iron out the kinks before it's too late.