‘Clinical’ and ‘consistent’ are two words to describe the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side that lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, under MS Dhoni. Again. Gujarat Titans (GT) were in it till the very last ball but Ravindra Jadeja magic broke their hearts, and sent Chennai into celebration mode.
With the season done and dusted, let’s now take a look at what worked and what did not for CSK this season.
What worked for CSK?
The openers. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were a formidable pair throughout the season. The duo consistently kept scoring fifties, and together they combined for a partnership of 849 runs this season, becoming the most successful CSK duo in a single edition of the IPL.
Gaikwad and Conway shared 10 half-centuries between them, with the New Zealander scoring a majority of them, with six. Four of those came in consecutive games for Conway, who finished the season with 672 runs.
Gaikwad, meanwhile, aggregated 590 runs from 16 matches, at a strike-rate of 147.50.
This season, CSK’s batting depth was tested, and Shivam Dube took up the challenge with open arms. Dube kept the sixes flying, while scoring fifties on a regular basis, and also helping CSK finish the games. On occasions he could not finish the games, he set the platform for it.
Dube was impactful in those middle overs throughout the tournament, so much so that he recorded the second-most maximums in IPL 2023 (35), only one behind Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis (36).
One of the major highlights for Dube in IPL 2023 was his 27-ball 52 against RCB, but his 21-ball 32 against GT in the final will live in the minds of millions of CSK fans.
Deepak Chahar’s comeback
Comebacks are never easy, but in IPL 2023, Deepak Chahar made it look so.
Chahar, who had missed last season’s IPL with a back injury, suffered an injury scare early in IPL 2023 as well, sustaining a hamstring injury during their game against Mumbai Indians (MI) on 8 April.
He returned to action against Lucknow Super Giants in early May, and ended up conceding 41 runs without taking a wicket.
However, sometimes what follows a setback is a comeback. And that was exactly the case with the 30-year-old.
13 wickets from six games, towards the end of the tournament, certainly put Deepak Chahar’s campaign back on track.
“Mentally it’s very tough. I had two major injuries which are critical for a fast bowler. Other pacers are also struggling with a stress fracture in the back. It takes a long time to recover from. When you start playing it takes time to get back to your best so it takes time mentally and physically, and I’m getting there slowly,” Chahar told The Indian Express in April.
The highlight of Chahar’s second half of the season was his three-fers in consecutive games, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Against KKR, Chahar looked in top form. All three of his wickets came in the powerplay, but eventually CSK failed to defend their total of 144.
Against DC, though, it was getting rid of two of those biggest middle-order batters in Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw. And Chahar removed both off consecutive balls in the fifth over.
Ever since the reverse fixture against MI in Chennai in May, the only occasion when the right-arm medium pacer conceded runs in excess of 30, was in the final, when he went for 38 while taking the wicket of Saha.
Where did CSK go wrong?
No-balls. Early on in the season, it was the no-balls that hurt the now five-time champions. Tushar Deshpande finished as CSK’s top wicket-taker with 21 scalps, but early on it was just not easy for the Maharashtra bowler. Against LSG in Chennai, where CSK emerged victorious, extras were a major concern. With Lucknow looking to chase CSK’s total of 217, there was scope for a much disciplined bowling, but the Yellow Brigade conceded 18 extras. Three no balls, 13 wides and the remaining were extras.
In his four overs, Deshpande had conceded seven of the 18 extras. In the first over, Deshpande bowled a total of 11 balls, which had three wides and two no-balls.
And with LSG needing 28 off six deliveries, Deshpande once again began with a wide, that was followed by a costly no-ball. However, as lucky as Chennai and Deshpande could get, Lucknow failed to capitalise on the freebies.
Fast forward to the final, Deshpande’s bowling would come under scanner, despite the win. He went for 56 runs in just four overs, without taking a wicket. He has been consistently hit for runs throughout the season, and went onto finish the IPL by giving away a mammoth 564 runs, the most in the history of IPL.
Chennai Super Kings final finish: Champions
Chennai Super Kings most runs in IPL 2023: Devon Conway (672 runs)
Chennai Super Kings most wickets in IPL 2023: Tushar Deshpande (21 wickets)
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