Scott Styris credited MS Dhoni for CSK’s incredible revival this year after a horrendous IPL 2020, where the team finished seventh and failed to make the playoffs for the first time.
Former New Zealand cricketer and former CSK player Scott Styris remarked that MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was the most tactically sound team in IPL 2021 before the league was indefinitely suspended due to the Covid-19 crisis in the country.
Scott Styris Impressed By CSK Skipper MS Dhoni’s Leadership Skills As CSK Continued To Be Tactically Best Team In IPL 2021
CSK endured a torrid IPL 2020 as they finished seventh in the points table and for the first time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, they failed to make the playoffs. But in 2021, CSK was back as the franchise staged a staggering turnaround to become one of the favourites to win the title. Before the premature halt, CSK was placed second in the league.
While speaking on Star Sports, Scott Styris credited MS Dhoni for CSK’s incredible revival in IPL 2021.
“I was incredibly impressed by the leadership shown by MS Dhoni, as much for what they did off the field as he did on the field. He knew if they tried to repeat what happened last year, it wouldn’t have worked. So they made changes, so incredibly smart and I think they [CSK] continue tactically to be the best in the competition,” said Scott Styris.
IPL 2020 was a season the Chennai Super Kings brigade would want to forget in a hurry. For the first time in the history of the tournament and in all the editions till then that CSK had played (11), the MS Dhoni-led side failed to make the cut for the play-offs. In fact, the men in yellow were the first ones to be eliminated from the play-off berth.
Scott Styris: Sam Curran And Deepak Chahar Formed A Good Partnership Together In IPL 2021
The former CSK player also lauded pacers Sam Curran and Deepak Chahar for forming a potent partnership with the new ball.
“You pick up wickets early, it is a different ball game. They can really squeeze you and strangle you through those middle overs in particular. Sam Curran has a role to play in that with his ability to swing the ball in that one direction, Deepak Chahar on the other. I think they form a really good partnership together,” added Scott Styris.
Sam Curran, with nine wickets, and Deepak Chahar, with eight wickets, were CSK’s most successful bowlers in IPL 2021. While Sam Curran was lethal upfront and at the death, Deepak Chahar wreaked havoc with the new ball in the powerplay. He picked all his eight wickets in two spells. He rocked the Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders top order with four scalps each.
The Chennai Super Kings had their worst campaign last year losing 8 of their 14 matches, finishing second-last in the group stage, and for the very first time not qualifying for the playoffs. They had a complete reversal this year winning five of their first 7 matches also playing a brand of attacking and aggressive cricket which was missing from their campaign last year.
Faf du Plessis continued from where he left in the UAE in 2020 scoring 320 runs in 7 matches at a strike rate of 145.45 including 4 fifties. The platform laid by him and Ruturaj Gaikwad (196 runs at a strike rate of 128.94) eased the pressure on the middle order and went a long way enabling CSK to put up massive totals. Moeen Ali was a revelation with the bat at number three as he scored a useful 206 runs at a strike rate of 157.25. Ambati Rayudu-136 runs, Ravindra Jadeja-131 runs, Suresh Raina-123 runs also were among runs.