It's a phrase widely associated with English football club Manchester United. In recent years, it has also become synonymous with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. No team enjoys as much fanfare and adulation in the IPL like the Super Kings do. And yet no team divides opinion like CSK does. Like United, CSK has a massive fan base. Both teams have enjoyed tremendous success through stability and now they are hungry to taste success again.
The big boys are back after a two-year hiatus. On one corner, there is a palpable angst with certain supporters still looking at CSK through that malpractice tint. On the other, if the practice sessions at Chepauk are anything to go by, one can clearly see what this team means to the locals. They have been deprived of seeing the men in yellow in action over the last two seasons. During this period, they have also had to come to terms with the fact that their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians, are now the most successful side in the history of the competition.
CSK returned with a queer game plan at the auction table, one that saw them favour experience to youth. Their first choice XI is expected to feature a lot of players in their thirties, something that is unlikely to be the case with the other teams. And that only means, there is very little time to settle down on their comeback. Super Kings will have to find ways to maximise the lingering qualities of their veterans. But with MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming back at the helm, there is cause for optimism as the journey to reclaim the lost throne begins.
Squad:
MS Dhoni(c), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungisani Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N Jagadeesan
Ins and Outs:
Over the years, the Super Kings had always had a local flavour to their squad. This time around, Ravichandran Ashwin has been let go. Murali Vijay is back and they have also invested in youngster N Jagadeesan, but it will be tough to fit in both the TN players in the best XI. There is going to be a new opening combination in the absence of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith whereas Ashish Nehra and Michael Hussey are done with their playing careers.
At the same time, the management has also ensured the core group stays intact. Dhoni remains the top draw and the harbinger of all hope. Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis will also be donning the famed yellow jersey but it will be interesting to see how the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu adapt to it following their long associations with Mumbai Indians.
While heavy investments have been made on Kedar Jadhav, Karn Sharma and Shane Watson, Shardul Thakur is the only player with IPL experience among the Indian pacers. Mark Wood's excellence in T20 cricket is well-documented but considering his tryst with injuries, Super Kings will have to manage his workload, possibly by bringing Lungi Ngidi into the equation.
Predicted style of play:
The ploy at the auction clearly suggested that the Super Kings would look to tie down opposition at their den with spin. In the form of Harbhajan, Jadeja, Karn and Imran Tahir, they have four top-class spinners who would look to take full advantage of the Chennai surface that is expected to be slow and low in order to assist the home side. Apart from the quartet, they also have the likes of Jadhav and Raina to fall back on. Super Kings are likely to go in with three spinners for most of the games but it remains to be seen if the strategy works in other venues.
Team composition:
Best XI - Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Mark Wood
Bench - Vijay and Rayudu's experience will be more than handy while Sam Billings might get a few games upfront with du Plessis expected to join the squad just hours before the tournament opener. Even though they have a proven performer like Tahir among the reserves in the spin department, Super Kings will have to rely on unknown commodity in the form of KM Asif and Deepak Chahar to provide backup for Thakur.
Numbers:
CSK's win-loss ratio of 1.52 is the best for any team in IPL. At home, the win-loss ratio extends to 2.36 - the second best for a side after RR's 2.67.
MS Dhoni has scored most runs in the death overs (16-20) in IPL since the start of 2013 - 323 runs at a strike rate of 229.
Dwayne Bravo has picked the most wickets in death overs since the 2013 season despite missing the 2017 edition - 23 wickets with a scalp every seven balls.
League run:
Super Kings resume their battle with Mumbai Indians by kicking off the tournament against their arch-rivals on April 7. They have been handed a smooth passage to begin with as Super Kings have a four-day break twice in a row after their first home game against Kolkata Knight Riders. Things get tight by the end of April as they are scheduled to play seven games in the space of 16 days before a much-needed five-day break. They will finally round off the league phase with a home game against Kings XI Punjab on May 20.