IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings SWOT Analysis

IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings' Opportunities

Sam Curran will be one of CSK's must-watch players in IPL 2021.

#1 The likes of Sam Curran, Krishnappa Gowtham and Deepak Chahar would be exciting to watch

The Chennai Super Kings' core team may well be past their prime, but there should be enough in the team to propel them over the finish line in IPL 2021.

English all-rounder Sam Curran was hugely impressive in 2020, while K Gowtham's explosive batting coupled with his crafty guile to take wickets make the duo exciting prospects.

Add Deepak Chahar, a consistent swing bowler, to the mix and some promising talent in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Narayan Jagadeesan, the Chennai Super Kings could have enough to steal matches from the opposition.

#2 A chance to prove that IPL 2020 was an aberration

Not many foresaw CSK's downward spiral in the IPL last season. Nevertheless, the new edition gives the side a chance to start afresh and prove that 2020 was a one-off.

The Chennai Super Kings might not look devastating on paper, but the quality of the side has never been in question.

CSK will look to gel well early in the league. It shouldn't come as a surprise to see the management working on tinkering with the squad and sorting out kinks right from the start.

IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings' Threats

Form slump in both bowling and batting

Poor batting let the Chennai Super Kings down in UAE.

CSK are known for their slow starts. If they endure another slow start in IPL 2021, that may peg them on the backfoot should their top order fail to fire.

Shane Watson's retirement leaves them a huge void at the top of the order. The challenge for MS Dhoni would be to identify who can be their anchor at the start of the innings and who can plunder boundaries at will in the final stages of games.

Meanwhile, CSK's bowling, known for slow-stifling the opposition batsmen, will have to be on the money. That means there would be less room for error for the likes of Chahar, Tahir and Bravo.