Maheesh Theekshana vs Mitchell Santner - who should CSK play in IPL 2024 clash vs SRH if Mustafizur Rahman is unavailable?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have to navigate their upcoming 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) without the services of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The Bangladesh player is expected to be unavailable for the next couple of fixtures, as he has travelled to Bangladesh to complete formalities pertaining to his US visa.

In his absence, CSK will have to bring in an overseas player from the bench to complete their playing XI. With their batting department having enough depth, and the fast bowling unit also having enough strength without Mustafizur, CSK will be keen on bringing in an extra spinner.

The defending champions have two excellent overseas spin bowling options in their squad, who have strangely been on the sidelines so far. Maheesh Theekshana was part of the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but was dropped after that. He returned with forgettable figures of 0/36 off his four overs, as CSK surprisingly went with only one spinner for their next game at the Chepauk.

Mitchell Santner, on the other hand, much like previous seasons, has had to settle for a place on the bench. The New Zealand international has grown in recent times, has had a solid ODI World Cup campaign in India, and has also led the national side on several occasions.

On that note, let us take a look at how CSK should go about replacing Mustafizur Rahman, who is unavailable for the clash against SRH in IPL 2024.

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Skillset and form

Theekshana and Santner could not be more different from each other in terms of their skillset.

The Sri Lankan spinner is known for his accuracy and variations, along with the ability to bowl with the new ball in powerplay overs. He has found success in this role in the CSK setup since his debut in 2022.

Although wicket-taking is not his prime ability, he has struggled more than ever in this aspect for CSK. Across his last seven IPL matches, he has only picked up four wickets. In fact, he has only managed to pick up four wickets in his last 10 white-ball matches.

Santner is more of a genuine spin bowler, relying on the nature of the surface to extract grip and turn. With his tall frame, he can extract some bounce as well. However, his biggest strength remains his clever pace and flight variation, which has outfoxed several batters.

The left-arm spinner was in good form during the home T20I series against Australia, picking up five wickets in three matches.

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Conditions and matchups

The only contest held in Hyderabad during the 2024 IPL was a nightmare for bowlers, especially spinners as it yielded over 500 runs in total. The likes of Shahbaz Ahmed, Mayank Markande, Piyush Chawla, and Shams Mulani had a combined economy of 15.

Although it is highly unlikely that the surface will play out exactly like that for the upcoming encounter as well, pace-off deliveries by seamers will still be the way to go rather than relying overly on spinners.

In terms of matchups, Theekshana presents himself as an excellent defensive option against SRH's explosive top three. With Head, Agarwal, and Abhishek Sharma likely to take on the pacers from the word go, and CSK losing Mustafizur's bowling in the powerplay, Theekshana can fill quite well.

The spinner played this role quite well in the season opener when du Plessis was on the charge. His tight over in the powerplay introduced some pressure, leading to the RCB skipper's dismissal in the very next over.

Exposing Santner to Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma would be a fatal move, especially given how the Australian batter took him down during the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, Santner can come in the middle overs to make an impact against Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, with his matchup against the latter being quite enticing.

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CSK's need of the hour

CSK could perhaps do with someone with the qualities of both these skilled and diverse spinners, but they can only pick one of the two overseas candidates.

Having a defensive option against SRH's top order looks like the bigger concern than the middle overs control since CSK already have Jadeja and even Pathirana to an extent for it.

Although Santner presents an excellent case to be part of the playing XI, and perhaps he might even excel if he is given the chance, but from the looks of it, CSK might go for Theekshana, just like they have done in the past.