Clash of generations
Old guards take on future in first Qualifier; Dhoni-led experienced CSK meet Pant's emerging DC
Chennai Super Kings’s old guards with an uncanny knack of owning the big stage at right moments will start as favourites against a solid Delhi Capitals line-up led by Rishabh Pant in what promises to be an exciting Qualifier.
Capitals were the best team in the league and their 20-point finish at the group stage was an indication of their consistent performances which didn't dip due to the COVID-19 forced break.
Similarly, CSK are now back in familiar settings of play-off rounds, something that they have been done 11 out of 12 times although losing three matches on the bounce wouldn't have amused MS Dhoni.
DC were handed a rude jolt by K Bharat's last-ball six in their last group league game against RCB.
It didn’t change their pole position but did enough to rattle them.
CSK, over the years, have been in the final eight times and won on three occasions which speaks volumes of the team's ability to lift their game just when it's required most.
That’s the reason why CSK is not one of those franchises which unleashes new talent by the dozens like other franchises. Ruturaj Gaikwad is an exception as he could be called a pure CSK product after more than a decade.
Dhoni has a simple cricketing philosophy: rely on tried and tested individuals who are battle-hardened and thus he has always punted on the likes of Ravindra jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis.
Add Josh Hazlewood or Moeen Ali, who are also international regulars in that mix and the former India captain knows exactly what is the kind of combination he needs to put on the park.
And no one knows more than Dhoni that T20 is perhaps one form of cricket, where individuals win matches. Dhoni knows that even though his batting form (96 runs in 14 games) has deserted him and an IPL legend like Raina (160 in 12 games) is a pale shadow of his destructive self, he still has Gaikwad (533 runs) and Du Plessis (546), who have more often than not provided solid starts and the menacing Jadeja (227 runs) providing the final flourish.
MSD’s scores in the UAE leg of the IPL 12 (15), 18 (27), 14* (11), 1 (4), 11* (9), 3 (5)