Former Indian National Cricket team player Krishnamachari Srikkanth feels the Chepauk Stadium – the venue for the 12the edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) opener is likely to assist the spin bowlers and the team batting first will have an advantage. Meanwhile, defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in season’s first outing.
Teams batting first will have an advantage
It will be a clash of the titans with MS Dhoni leading Chennai while Virat Kohli will take charge of RCB. While the Super Kings have been a successful side in the IPL, the Challengers have always found it tough. Despite boasting a strong squad, they are yet to lift the trophy. As they begin another season in pursuit of the title, things will not be easy for Kohli & Co at the Chepauk. The home ground of the Super Kings have been a happy hunting ground for the spinners, and it is not likely to change.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth ahead of the curtain-raiser admitted that the home side will start with an advantage. However, there is very less to choose in this format, and one excellent effort can change the course of the tournament. The former selector opined that CSK have three spinners in the squad which will make the Chennai team dangerous.
“Recent record suggests that the home team starts with a definite advantage, but there is nothing much to choose in this format. One good performance can turn the form book upside down,” Srikkanth wrote in TOI.
“With three good spinners in their ranks, I expect the Chepauk track to assist the slow bowlers. And this is where the defending champions are also most dangerous. They have the batsmen to tackle good spinners and know how to stifle opposing batsmen with nagging accuracy,” he explained.
All-rounders will be key
Moreover, Krishnamachari Srikkanth feels that the all-rounders will hold the key to winning. Besides, the team batting first will also have the advantage as dew can come in the second half. The former cricketer also added that the skippers will take some time to understand the home conditions.
“The team batting first will have a definite advantage. Ultimately, it should boil down to what the allrounders have to offer. Reading conditions will also be vital and even home team skippers might take a game or two to understand what the strip is likely to offer,” he continued.
Many former pundits believe IPL performances will take into count before picking the World Cup squad but Krishnamachari Srikkant feels not much should be read into the players’ performances in the tournament.