It’s all systems go for start of Champions League

CHENNAI Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that Indian teams in Champions League Twenty20 have a good chance of winning the tournament, but they have to be at their best on a particular day.

“As the teams who played in IPL, we know the conditions well. What we have to rely on is whether there is dew or no dew. These are factors that matter. However, that said any one individual can take the game away. Such is the nature of the game,” Dhoni told reporters on Monday.

The Indian captain described CSK as a “good side”. On the chances of his team, he believes it depends on the conditions of the day and the toss.

He said Dwayne Bravo's return had strengthened the team. “We missed Bravo during the IPL. He was injured and that affected our combinations and the stability of the side. It will be good to have him back.”

Dhoni pointed out that most of their players featured in international cricket and scored runs in the recent series.

“The side is looking good but we will have to see how quickly we adapt to the conditions,” he said.

CSK go up against Kolkata Knight Rider (KKR) in the opening match of Champions League today (Wednesday) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

The CSK skipper admitted that it was a challenge to assemble and get ready for the tournament as they hardly had any time after the series against England. While describing KKR as a good team, he said they had their own strengths.

“In fact, all teams getting into Champions League are excellent sides. They have their own weaknesses and they have their own strengths. We have to focus on that.”

Dhoni agreed that the Champions League lags behind compared to the IPL in terms of popularity

“The IPL format is different. You have two months of cricket and every team has the cream of Indian players and also some international players. While Champions League idea is brilliant, it becomes difficult to get the Indian crowd indulge at that level as we see when two Indian teams play.”

The Dolphins play its first game against the Perth Scorchers on Saturday. - IANS