Chennai Super Kings are in a turbulent phase after securing just two wins out of their six IPL games. Some players from CSK have come under heavy criticism from both the fans as well as experts for their disastrous performances. Murali Vijay was earlier dropped after disappointing with his slow starts and now the pressure is on Kedar Jadhav. Jadhav’s poor record for CSK has been the talk of the town and it looks like the time might be up for the man from Pune. Here are the four possible replacement options for him,
#4. R Sai Kishore
The team that CSK fielded against KKR has incredible depth in batting with Dwayne Bravo coming in at number 8 and all the other tailenders very much capable of batting. This lineup could probably use another bowler on flat decks and that is where Sai Kishore’s left arm spin comes into play. He was the highest wicket taker in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and his height enables him to get that extra bounce which could be a nightmare for right handers.
#3. Piyush Chawla
Chawla was CSK’s main spinner until he was dropped for the last game . His replacement Karn Sharma bowled very well last game and Chawla will find it difficult to get into the eleven again. But Jadhav’s form could be a blessing for Chawla as his experience could convince Dhoni to pair him alongside Karn Sharma in the middle overs. However, playing two leg spinners might be a big gamble in a season where the leggies have leaked a lot of runs.
#2. Narayan Jagadeesan
Narayan Jagadeesan has not had a glittering T-20 career so far but parallels could be drawn with Badrinath who was a lynchpin for CSK in the middle order. Jagadeesan has predominantly played as an opener in the Ranji trophy but due to the settled top order of CSK, he will be required to adjust his role just like how Badrinath did in the early parts of the last decade. But Badrinath was an experienced and well respected campaigner by the time he started regularly playing for CSK. Jagadeesan only has 23 games under his belt and he will have to learn quickly to effectively play a floater role against world class bowlers.
#1. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Gaikwad was the second highest run getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament and is right on track for greater things after his performances for India A. He got much deserved recognition after lighting up the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17 with his risk free stroke play. Chennai Super Kings bought him before the 2019 IPL, but he made his debut in this season’s IPL after Rayudu’s injury. He was dropped after two disappointing games, but he deserves an opportunity to prove himself at the top of the order where he has played for his whole career. This could mean Rayudu dropping further down the order which might turn out to be a good thing for Chennai since they are struggling for stability in the middle order.
