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After a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 campaign, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made an impressive comeback in the first half of IPL 2021 held in India. They were second in the points table when the tournament had to be suspended owing to a COVID-19 outbreak; CSK won five and lost only two of their seven matches.
CSK began IPL 2021 on a disappointing note, going down to Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven wickets. However, they recovered magnificently, and went on to win their next five games in a row, all of them by comprehensive margins. They defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 69 runs and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets.
CSK’s winning streak came to an end just before the suspension of IPL 2021. They lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets in a high-scoring match that went down to the last ball.
Ahead of the competition's resumption in the UAE, here's a look at a few CSK players who shone as well as some who did not in the league’s India leg a few months ago.
Three CSK players who impressed in the first half of IPL 2021:
#1 Faf du Plessis
Veteran South African batsman Faf du Plessis was in scintillating form for CSK in the first half of IPL 2021. He smashed 320 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 145.45, scoring four fifties. Du Plessis timed the ball brilliantly and cleared the field with ease most times he stepped out to the middle.
The veteran CSK opener smashed an unbeaten 95 off 60 against KKR in Mumbai. The blistering knock featured nine fours and four sixes as Chennai posted 220 for 3, batting first. Faf Du Plessis followed that scintillating innings against KKR with scores of 50 (vs RCB), 56 (vs SRH)and 50 (vs MI).
He suffered a concussion while fielding during a PSL match, following which he was ruled out of the event and pulled out of The Hundred as well. CSK will hope Du Plessis has recovered in time for the second half of IPL 2021.
#2 Moeen Ali
England all-rounder Moeen Ali proved to be a fabulous edition to the CSK set-up in IPL 2021. He came in at No. 3 and played breezy cameos galore to upset the opponents' plans and tightened the grip on proceedings following the loss of a wicket.
Moeen Ali played six games for CSK, scoring 206 runs at an excellent strike rate of 157.25. His best of 58 came off 36 balls against MI, a knock that included five fours and as many sixes.
The all-rounder also made an impact with his off-spin, claiming exceptional figures of 3 for 7 in the win over Rajasthan Royals. The England player claimed five wickets in the first half of IPL 2021, maintaining an excellent economy rate of 6.16.
#3 Sam Curran
Another England all-rounder, Sam Curran, proved his worth to CSK in IPL 2021. He was impactful with his left-arm bowling, claiming nine wickets in seven games at a strike rate of under 17.
Curran’s best of 3 for 34 came in the high-scoring clash against MI, a game in which he dismissed Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya and Jimmy Neesham. He also picked up 2 for 24 in the win over RR. His victims included opposition captain Sanju Samson. He suffered at the hands of Pat Cummins in the match against KKR, but that was a one off.
Curran contributed with the bat as well. Coming in during the slog overs, he hammered 34 off 15 against DC to lift CSK to a competitive 188 for 7. The franchise will look to utilise his batting skills more efficiently in the second half of IPL 2021.
Two CSK players who failed to impress in the first half of IPL 2021
#1 MS Dhoni
CSK captain MS Dhoni did not have a great time with the bat in the first half of IPL 2021. He did not look in any kind of rhythm at all with the willow. Most of his attempted big hits failed to find the middle of the bat. Age finally seems to be catching up with the champion player.
Dhoni began IPL 2021 with a second-ball duck against DC, bowled by Avesh Khan. His highest score of 18 came against RR, a game in which he was undone by another young pacer, Chetan Sakariya. Dhoni promoted himself up the order against KKR and contributed 17 off eight.
The CSK captain played four innings in the first half of IPL 2021, and scored 37 runs at a strike rate of 123.33. Even as he struggled in front of the stumps, Dhoni remained agile behind it.
#2 Shardul Thakur
Heading into IPL 2021, a lot was expected of CSK’s pace bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur following his exploits in international cricket. Thakur picked up five wickets in seven games at an economy rate of 10.33 and an average of 53.4, though.
The CSK medium-pacer, known for his variations, failed to make much of an impact on the batters, and was easily taken for runs. In CSK’s first match against DC, Thakur conceded 53 runs in 3.4 overs while picking up two wickets. Although he gave away only 35 against PBKS, he went wicketless and did not look threatening at all.
In the victory over KKR, Thakur again disappointed, going for 48 runs in 3.1 overs. After impressing with 1 for 11 against RCB, he was hammered for 44 and 56 runs by SRH and MI, respectively. Thakur will be the first to admit that his performances were underwhelming.
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