IPL 2019: Three ways Chennai Super Kings can line up after Ngidi's injury

The start of the 12th edition of the IPL is just hours away as defending champions, Chennai Super Kings lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The rivalry has been keenly contested over the years with several humdingers characterizing the explosive feud. However, in recent times, CSK has enjoyed the wood over Virat Kohli’s men with the latter unable to eke out a win against the former since 2014.

Yet, one would be extremely naïve to expect the match to be a one-sided affair. RCB boasts of numerous match-winners with AB De Villiers and Shimron Hetmyer supplementing Kohli’s mercurial talent.

Moreover, a spanner was thrown in CSK’s works as Lungi Ngidi was ruled out for the season. The pacer from South Africa had formed a vital part of their title-winning campaign last term as he bagged 11 wickets in 7 games. However, the Yellow Army would hope to offset the South African’s loss with the quality in their ranks.

Thus, through the course of this article, we would chalk out three options MS Dhoni’s charges could explore for the opener in Chennai.

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#3 David Willey in place of Ngidi

Willey has been in decent form

The most straightforward alternative for CSK would be to bring David Willey in place of Ngidi. The Englishman is adroit at swinging the new ball and would provide penetration during the power-play.

The left-arm seamer was in decent form in the recently concluded T20 series in the Caribbean. He caused the marauding West Indies batsmen problems with his brand of swing bowling. To supplement these attributes, Willey would also add meat to the lower middle order while also allowing CSK the luxury of sending him in as a pinch hitter.

Yet, in the last season, the Englishman’s death bowling was a real concern with his inept display against Rajasthan Royals quickly springing to mind. Willey’s lack of pace meant that the batsmen were able to line him up and maneuver the field to their liking. Moreover, the sluggish nature of the Chennai pitch might not aid him in his endeavors. Hence, the inclusion of the left-arm fast bowler certainly comes with its drawbacks.

If CSK actually gives him the nod ahead of others is a question better left unanswered for now. Yet, it definitely is a course of action they won’t ignore come 8 pm on the 23rd of March.

#2 Play an additional spinner

Tahir bamboozled Sri Lanka in the ODI and T20I series

CSK has built an identity over the previous editions. Their depth in the spin-bowling department has helped them establish Chepauk as a fortress with countless top-notch tweakers embracing the Yellow Army. And like many a time before, CSK’s solution to a potential problem could again revolve around their biggest weapon - spin.

Dhoni’s men are expected to start with Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja as their primary spin-bowlers. However, with an overseas spot up for grabs, CSK could be tempted to bring in Imran Tahir.

RCB’s batsmen bar Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are susceptible to spin. Hence, the visitors might find it difficult to cope with the South African’s blend of leg-spinners, top-spinners, and googlies.

Additionally, the South African has been in superb form recently. The 39-year old bamboozled Sri Lankan batsmen on his way to 9 scalps in 4 ODIs. He also displayed exemplary composure in the 1st T20I to pull off a heist in the Super Over.

Thus, the introduction of Tahir would accord CSK with a genuine wicket-taking option in the middle phases. And after the roll he has been on recently, one wouldn’t be too surprised if the effervescent leg-spinner ends up spinning the game Chennai’s way.

#1 Play an extra batsman

Du Plessis would add firepower to the batting

CSK has an embarrassment of riches on the all-rounder front. The likes of Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Santner and Jadeja are all ‘A-grade’ all-rounders whereas Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav have proven themselves with the ball before.

Hence, with a plethora of bowling alternatives at their disposal, they might even consider replacing a premier fast-bowler with an extra batsman. Faf du Plessis and Sam Billings are very effective with the willow. The latter announced himself on the IPL stage last term as his blistering innings led CSK past Kolkata Knight Riders in their only encounter at Chennai.

As for the former, the South African has come up trumps in clutch situations previously. His titanic knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 1st Qualifier a testament to the fact.

Hence, the aforementioned cricketers have proven their mettle time and again and one can expect them to withstand anything the IPL opener could throw at them. Apart from the duo’s pedigree, RCB’s Achilles heel has long been their bowling. Thus, CSK could try to exploit the said suit by throwing down their gauntlet of power-hitters.

At this juncture, predicting the line-up of any team is easier said than done. Yet, one just gets the feeling that arming themselves with the additional batsman could be the perfect recipe for success for CSK.