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The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were never among the outright favourites in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) after the withdrawals of Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. However, few could have anticipated that MS Dhoni's men would be rooted to the bottom of the IPL 2020 points table for a significant portion of the tournament and would miss out on the playoffs for the first time in their history.
CSK have been troubled by a plethora of issues in IPL 2020 - maximising the powerplay, upping the ante in the middle overs, consistency from spinners, death bowling, etc. However, arguably the biggest reason behind their downfall in IPL 2020 has been their ageing core - MS Dhoni, Shane Watson and Piyush Chawla, to name a few - failing to step up to the plate.
With this in mind, CSK will want to clear some of the deadwood in their team and usher in a few younger, fitter players. Even vice-captain Raina might be a casualty. Here are 3 players who might be released by CSK after IPL 2020.
#3 Murali Vijay
Murali Vijay made his mark on the IPL stage with the Chennai Super Kings in their initial days of glory, and after meandering around to teams like the Kings XI Punjab, Tamil Nadu's prodigal son made his return in 2018.
And over the last couple of years Vijay has been a consistent figure on the bench, never threatening to break into the playing XI despite being a legend at the franchise. IPL 2020 and the withdrawal of Raina offered him the opportunity to show the world that he has what it takes at the highest level, despite being 36 years old and away from international cricket for a significant period of time.
Unfortunately for Vijay, things haven't gone to plan. The classy right-hander played only 3 games in which he scored 32 runs at a strike rate of 74.41, and found the boundary only 4 times. Struggling to get going in the powerplay against both pace and spin, he was clearly been a shadow of the dominant opener he once was.
Now past his prime and out of form, Vijay might be released by CSK after IPL 2020.
#2 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav has been made something of a scapegoat for CSK's poor performances in IPL 2020, but that hasn't been done without reason. The stocky "all-rounder" has had a strike rate of less than 100 in his last 2 IPL seasons, with only 224 runs and 1 fifty to show for.
Jadhav has looked like a batsman who doesn't even belong at the Ranji Trophy level (no disrespect to India's premier domestic competition, of course), and nothing like a man who has managed to make over 80 appearances for the Indian team.
The 35-year-old wasn't used even once with the ball (he has never bowled in the history of the IPL) and was a liability in the field. Often batting as low as No. 7 just to fill up a spot in the playing XI, the 7.8 crore-buy came in for criticism from all corners of the cricketing fraternity.
Jadhav's relationship with even the most loyal CSK fans has arguably been damaged beyond repair, as is evident from the torrent of abuse that he has been on the receiving end of on social media. The Maharashtra batsman will be, in all likelihood, released by CSK. Whether he finds another buyer after his nightmarish performances in the IPL over the last few years remains to be seen.
#1 Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo has been one of MS Dhoni's most trusted lieutenants over the years in the IPL, but even his most ardent fan will acknowledge the fact that he's well past his prime.
Although the West Indian has managed to hit the yorker consistently in IPL 2020, his lack of pace and over-reliance on the slower ball have left him predictable and susceptible to premeditation.
Apart from no longer being the livewire he once was on the field, Bravo has been largely ineffective with the bat and can't be called a world-class all-rounder anymore. He has also suffered injury after injury in recent years, with his ageing body unable to keep up with the rigours of top-level cricket any longer.
CSK are well aware of the fact that Bravo is 37 years old, and they took a significant step towards a future without him by grooming Sam Curran in IPL 2020. The Englishman, who is 15 years younger, has been one of the team's best performers in the tournament, and has shown the ability to shine in a number of roles and scenarios.
CSK already have a replacement on hand, and we may have seen the last of Bravo in the yellow of Chennai.
