IPL 2020 will happen in the UAE for the second time in Indian Premier League history and former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee believes one team is more favourite to win than the other franchises in the fray. The IPL has been dominated by Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, combining seven IPL titles.
Each year, CSK and MI start as the two most favourite teams to win the coveted trophy and more often than not, make it to the Playoffs. CSK, led by wicket-keeper MS Dhoni from its inaugural edition in 2008 was banned for two consecutive years along with Rajasthan Royals for match-fixing allegations in 2016 and 2017 and were replaced by Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujrat Lions.
In 2018, having returned from a two-year ban, CSK lifted the title by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final, whereas last year, MI and CSK played a riveting final in which Rohit Sharma’s team clinched a last-ball thriller.
IPL 2020 Title Contender Is Definitely CSK: Brett Lee
As the IPL 2020 moves to the UAE for the second time in history, former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee believes one team has a definite edge to win the tournament more than anyone else. And it’s neither of the two franchises he has represented in the past.
Brett Lee, who played for Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders during his IPL career, reckons that based on conditions, CSK look favourites to tie with the Mumbai Indians for the most titles this year.
“I reckon their strength is that their players are a bit more elderly, mature. They’ve got that youth coming through but they’ve got a lot of players who’ve been around a long, long time and I’d say that’s their greatest strength,” Brett Lee said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports.
CSK have retained the cricketers who have been responsible for their success over the years. MS Dhoni who is the captain in IPL 2020, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja have formed the core backbone of CSK for several years and coupled with experienced campaigners in Shane Watson and Harbhajan Singh, the franchise not only is powerful on paper it has also proven its worth each season.
IPL 2020 in UAE’s conditions may suit CSK spinners: Brett Lee
Another factor that makes CSK a threat in the UAE, the venue for IPL 2020 is its strong spin attack. Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir, Piyush Chawla, Karn Sharma and Mitchell Santner adds a chink in their armour this season. These are some of the most experienced current spinners in the world and Brett Lee was excited by the prospect of them taking advantage of most of the surfaces in the UAE where IPL 2020 will be held.
“It’s definitely right up there and that will definitely suit those wickets,” Brett Lee said.
“Recently, I’ve looked at the forecast of the next two or three weeks. It’s 40 degrees, plus the wickets will surely turn. Therefore, I feel CSK will feel a lot more at home. Imagine all those spinners getting big rips, big turn. I reckon they are definitely suited for this tournament and should definitely be favourites.”
CSK have an experienced batting line up too with international star Faf Du Plessis and seasoned Indian campaigners like Ambati Rayudu, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav. Their line-up is further bolstered by the inclusion of talented youngsters like batsman Rituraj Gaikwad, pacer Deepak Chahar and Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood and South African Lungi Ngidi who will be great assets in IPL 2020.