Dubai: Chennai Super Kings may only have one win from their first two matches, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side look like they are settling into the UAE leg of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 very nicely.
The two-time IPL champions suffered a false start when they failed to defend 205 in their opening match against Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah, but the manner in which they disposed of a below-par Delhi Daredevils in Abu Dhabi on Monday night suggested they are more than at home on the Emirate’s wickets.
The Super Kings will be in action in Dubai for the first time on Wednesday and standing in their way will be Rajasthan Royals, who have also previously suffered at the hands of the Kings XI and star batsman Glenn Maxwell.
Shane Watson’s side beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opener before Maxwell and David Miller smashed their bowling attack while chasing down a target of 192 on Sunday.
Veteran spinner Pravin Tambe has been the most economical of the Royals bowlers so far, with Australian all-rounder James Faulkner particularly expensive. New Zealand pacer Tim Southee, West Indies’ Kevon Cooper and Australian Ben Cutting are waiting in the wings if Rajasthan opt to rejig their attack.
Steven Smith came in for the ill Brad Hodge for the Punjab game and the management will have to take a call on which of those two feature against Chennai. Young Indian batsman Unmukt Chand is itching for a chance to partner Ajinkya Rahane at the top although Abhishek Nayar has been the man in possession of that spot.
The Super Kings, meanwhile, gave a debut to 24-year-old Madhya Pradesh medium-pacer Ishwar Pandey against Delhi and were rewarded with a brilliant spell of two for 23 from his four overs.
After the match, Pandey praised captain Dhoni and senior bowler Ashish Nehra for the help and freedom they have given him.
“When I went on the field, he [Dhoni] told me at once, ‘Tell me whatever field you want and whenever you want to make any changes to it. Feel free to form your own plans and bowl according to them. I am here to facilitate you in every way’,” Pandey told the IPL website.
“These are different wickets for us to play on in terms of pace and bounce and Ashish bhai keeps teaching us small tricks of how to bowl on these wickets, how to make subtle variations and stuff like that.”
Chennai appear to be spoilt for choice when it comes to bowlers as, even without the injured Dwayne Bravo, they can field the likes of Pandey, Nehra, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Pawan Negi, as well as in-form West Indian spinner Samuel Badree, who hasn’t had a look-in so far.
And with the Super Kings’ powerful batting line-up already firing with scores of 205 and 177, it will take an inspired performance from Rajasthan to stop them in Wednesday’s match.
