When the IPL started, Chennai Super Kings’ bowling attack looked a bit flimsy and inexperienced. That bowling line-up lacked experience and most importantly, they didn’t have a strong bowler to bowl in the death overs.
Due to this incompetence, they had to face defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans in the first match. From then, the Chennai Super Kings bowling line-up has gone through many changes.
Mitchell Santner was brought in by CSK for two matches to strengthen the first spin bowling. But they already had a good quality left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, that didn’t look balancing.
So when Maheesh Theekshana was relieved of his national duty, MS Dhoni immediately gave him a place in the team. Now Chennai Super Kings have three terrific spinners who do their job in the middle overs.
Moeen Ali bowls like a classical off-spinner, while Ravindra Jadeja is known for his accurate and tight bowling. Both these bowlers also have a lot of experience in international level cricket, so Dhoni’s job also becomes very easy behind the wickets.
At the same time, Theekshana is a wicket-taker on any pitch, despite being a spinner, he makes good use of pace and bowls a flashy googly.
After Deepak Chahar’s injury, there was a big problem for CSK in bowling in the initial overs. The team showed faith in Akash Singh and he also bowled well against RCB but due to lack of experience, the team seemed a bit shaky.
In the absence of Kyle Jamieson, Chennai signed Sisanda Magala and made him bowl in two matches. Looking at the experience, Dwayne Pretorius was also given a chance but as soon as he got a bowler like Matheesha Pathirana it seemed that Chennai got a solution to all the problems in terms of bowling.
Pathirana has played only 8 matches for Chennai so far, but in those matches, the bowler took 11 wickets with an economy above 7.30 and most of these wickets were taken in the last over.
Deepak Chahar has also taken 5 wickets in 3 matches so far after returning from injury. But Tushar Deshpande, who has been the most successful bowler for Chennai, took 19 wickets in 12 matches.
It wasn’t easy for Deshpande in the beginning, Dhoni showed faith in him and made him bowl continuously and now he is on his way to becoming a efficient bowler.
Chennai Super Kings have aced the perfection of bowling combination
Deepak Chahar has duty to swing the ball in the initial overs and take wickets, Dhoni often tries to get Chahar to complete three overs in the first 6 overs. Tushar Deshpande supports him from the other end, bowling 2 overs in the powerplay.
Overall, the fast bowler bowls 5 overs in the powerplay for Chennai and Maheesh Theekshana bowls the last over of the powerplay.
Three CSK spinners do their job in the middle overs, and a lot depends on how the pitch is playing and what kind of mentality the batsman is in front of.
Tushar Deshpande likes to bowl hard lengths, so Dhoni also uses him in the last overs, but around 12 or 13 overs, Dhoni brings Pathirana for bowling. The 21 years old bowler can nail yorkers on wish at a speed above 145.
That’s why Chennai Super Kings’ bowling attack looks so good. They have a swing bowler, a hard length bowler. There is a yorker bowler who can make a very important contribution in the last overs.
At the same time there is a left arm spinner, a right arm spinner and a spin bowler who makes good use of the pace.