Abu Dhabi: No team has gone through so much turmoil in the last couple of months than two-time former Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings.
They are still reeling from the spot-fixing scandal in which some of their top brass have come under the scanner and are facing serious charges. Even lot of muck has been thrown at some of their key players as well.
However, one can be assured that the off-field tumult will definitely be put to rest when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side takes the field in their IPL opener against a new-look Kings XI Punjab at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium on Friday.
Coach Stephen Fleming has already admitted that the off-field issues cannot be just brushed under the carpet and it is certainly a distraction, but that it has also made the team a strong unit.
“One thing I have guaranteed is that, when the group gets together, it’s very easy to have job at hand. There are outside issues taking place but when it comes down to playing attractive cricket, it’s the easiest job we can do,” said Fleming in his first interview after landing in UAE.
On the eve of their first match, Fleming warned his boys to be wary of the fact that they cannot afford to take any games lightly.
“You are not going to get any easy games in the IPL and this is going to be a tough one for us to start with. One has to keep that in mind,” said the New Zealander, who felt that Kings XI Punjab have beefed up their arsenal with some good players.
“We rate Punjab highly. I think they have done really well in the auction and they have bought some really good players. They have got some good hitters in there,” said Fleming, who also backed the India outcast Virender Sehwag to also do well in this format.
“Obviously George Bailey is a good captain at international level and they have some long hands. Sehwag is one that comes to my mind. With [David] Miller, [Glenn] Maxwell and [Mitchell] Johnson in, they are a very good side,” added Fleming.
This year, CSK will be without some of their most reliable stars — including their mainstay Australian Michael Hussey, after losing him in auction.
“Of course a player like Hussey will be missed. Yes, these are some of the things that you go through when you are picking a side. You love to get all the players you want, but what we is a very powerful side. In the past, Mick [Hussey] added a sedate approach to certain parts of the game. This year we have gone and added power to our batting.”
The Chennai bowling department will be largely relying on homebred boys, revealed Fleming.
“In the bowling, we have gone for experience and Indian talent. Mohit Sharma is in there and Ashish Nehra’s presence can add experience. Nehra will be looking to prove a point. He had some injuries in the last couple of year, which has kept him below par. We picked him to get him back to the top-class player he was.”
There are few injury worries for coach Fleming and his side, however. Dwayne Bravo has not fully recovered from the injury he sustained during the T20 World Cup and is a doubtful starter. He said: “There are a few niggles. Bravo is still not fit and we want to get him back to full fitness. He is the one we will be monitoring.”
Kings XI Punjab’s South African aggressive batsman David Miller was also confident that his team is capable of clinching their maiden Indian Premier League title this year.
“It is exciting to have a different group of players in the squad. Overall, the squad looks more than capable to win the title. We have been training hard from the past four to five days and are getting to know each other,” said Miller, who along with 20-year-old uncapped Indian player Manan Vohra was the only players to be retained by Delhi.
The presence of all-rounders such as Rishi Dhawan and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera gives the Punjab side more stability. However, 37-year-old Murali Kartik will have plenty of work to do in the spin department.
“Look, it is really cool to have so many good players around. I have been discussing a lot of cricket with Sehwag and Bailey also comes across as a man of wisdom. Now the challenge is to gel well together in a short time. It was only last night that all of us went out for desert safari,” said the 24-year-old.
