Chennai Super Kings are one of the favourites going into IPL 2020. The side will be led by MS Dhoni who has been one of India’s most successful captains. He announced his retirement from international cricket on 15th August. The wicketkeeper-batsman will return to the ground after 14 months as he last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.
CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming was all praises for the skipper and feels that the break has done a lot of good to him. “It has been no different, Fleming said of Dhoni’s training methods. “He’s very fit and mentally he’s been very engaged and determined. In some ways, the break can work for the experienced and older players that we have. MS is fresh and ready to go.” He said.
The IPL shifted from India to UAE after the rising COVID-19 cases in India. The franchise faced a setback when 13 squad members tested positive for the virus. Apart from that southpaw Suresh Raina and experienced bowler Harbhajan Singh also pulled out of IPL 2020.
“There are a lot of skilful players that make the side, but there are also a lot of skilful players that don’t. Picking the right side for the right conditions is one of the great challenges and we’ve got a good record at that. But I must admit, going to Abu Dhabi without seeing the wicket or assessing the conditions is going to be one of the big challenges to start with.” He added.
The IPL 2020 opener will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians who are the defending champions and have won the championship 4 times which is the highest by any franchise. “The first game is always full of anxiety, nerves and excitement and pressure and we enjoy that. We’ve earned the right to play the first game by playing well last year, and given the way the final finished last year, it’s nice to have another crack at MI.
“It has been different, and that’s been part of the challenge – understanding the unknown,” Fleming said of their build-up. “We didn’t get off to a great start, with some positive Covid-19 cases, but I think we dealt with it very well. “We were calm around our approach, looked after the players and staff very well, and the rest of the players were calm in the hotel room. There was a bit of anxiety wanting to get out and train. It is what it is, and the players dealt with it very well. On hindsight, the amount of pre-season training that we’ve done up to now, and the extra few days in the room, was probably a blessing.”
