The comeback season has not quite unfolded on an expected note for Chennai Super Kings. While performance-wise, the team has done fairly well, the shifting of the games from Chennai to Pune due to political reasons has somewhat soured their comeback.
One of the most loved teams in the league, Super Kings were set to receive a rousing reception at their fortress in Chennai.
The first game against Kolkata Knight Riders very much made it clear that the fans were in no mood to sit at home despite the political unrest in the state.
However, the BCCI eventually decided to shift the team’s home games keeping in mind the security of the players.
The change in venue might see a decline in the number of fans attending the games. However, Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey is confident MS Dhoni’s popularity will help the side draw a big crowd.
Super Kings will begin their journey in Pune with the encounter against Rajasthan Royals on Friday (April 20). Hussey also said Dhoni and other players’ connection with the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant would also help Super Kings adapt quickly.
“Wherever MSD has played, there are heaps and heaps of fans, heaps and heaps of CSK Fans, so we are still expecting a lot of home ground support,” Hussey said on Thursday. “MS is such a big hero here in India, so (he) gets a lot of support, as does the team wherever we go. It’s obviously not going to be as big support that we get in Chennai which certainly pushes us along, gives us a huge lift. It’s just one of the challenges we have to deal with, no point complaining about it or worrying about, we just have to move forward, look positively and try to do the best we possibly can.
“I guess the bonus and positive for us is that quite a few members of the squad were part of the team that played here for the last two years. So they understand the conditions reasonably well and have a good rapport with people working here.”
“We have to (adapt to these conditions). The team was based a lot on spin, based on Chennai conditions, but the conditions here may be very different, so we are going to have to adapt very quickly. I personally believe our squad has some nice depth in different areas. So I believe we can cover different scenarios depending on the conditions and we have got the quality to put out a very good team on the park,” he added.
Super Kings have won two of their first three games. In the season-opener, they defeated defending champions Mumbai Indians. In the following game, they got the better of two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Then against Kings XI Punjab, they almost pulled off a heist before losing the game by four runs.