Legendary captain MS Dhoni is in contention to lead Chennai Super Kings against Delhi Capitals on April 5 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Batting coach Michael Hussey confirmed that captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s participation is currently in doubt after being hit on the hands by Tushar Deshpande in the previous match against Rajasthan Royals.
“Ruturaj Gaikwad’s participation in tomorrow’s game will depend on how well he recovered. He is still sore and we would take a call as to how he bats in the nets today. If he doesn’t play, not sure who will lead. But there is a strong chance that a young wicketkeeper might fill in,” said Hussey during the pre-match press conference.
Chennai are currently eighth on the IPL points table with just one win in three matches. The five-time champions were put under immense pressure, while the likes of Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin were targeted by the critics. In the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Dhoni batted at number nine, which wasn’t appreciated by a large section of the fans and the cricketer has faced backlash for the same.
On the other hand, Ashwin analysed CSK’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals on his YouTube channel and that too invited criticism. The team now needs to sort things out and get back to winning ways to find a place in the Qualifiers. The match against Delhi holds massive importance at the moment as another defeat could take them to the bottom of the table.
Notably, Chennai’s batting has let them down so far this season. The likes of Rachin Ravindra and Gaikwad have shown glimpses of their class but others have failed to live up to the expectations. The middle order, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar have failed to get going and that is arguably the biggest reason behind CSK suffering two defeats in three matches.