You could not find a better example of an IPL franchise turning a weak area into one of dominance, while turning itself into playoff contenders, than Chennai Super Kings this year.
Three games in, heir bowling looked like a liability. Not a weakness, but a full-blown problem. Just ten wickets, 588 runs, for an overall economy rate of 11.37. You don’t win IPLs like that.
And then? A complete flip. In their next seven games, CSK claimed 51 wickets – one team has more – at an economy of 8.15. That’s not improvement. That’s a transformation.
Their latest win, over Delhi Capitals away, was decided the moment both teams saw the pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It was slow, gripping, and awkward. But only one team understood it.
Strangely, DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bat. Cue another sorry batting effort. There were 15 dot balls in the first four overs. Delhi’s batters were pushing, forcing and finding fielders. Even players like KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka, overall timing the ball well this season, just couldn’t pierce the field. Because on that pitch, timing wasn’t enough. You needed patience.
And CSK? They went straight to spin choke. Conventional wisdom says don’t bowl a left-arm spinner to a left-hander. CSK’s captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said I don’t care. He backed Akeal Hosein, and the result was the wicket of Rahul. Control maintained, Powerplay strangled. That’s not just tactics. That’s conviction.
Delhi were 69/5 in 11 overs and the game was almost gone. In the one positive for DC, Sameer Rizvi and Tristan counter-attacked sensibly.
Then came Rizvi and Stubbs — a counterattack with brains. Rizvi didn’t just hit Anshul Kamboj, he out-thought him by moving across the crease, opening angles, and keeping his options open. That’s high-level T20 batting.
But here’s the thing – that pair was repairing damage, not building dominance. Because this game had already tilted.
Chasing 156, Sanju Samson led the charge superbly. He was slow to get off the blocks, at one stage on 22 off 22 balls. The wickets of Gaikwad and Urvil Patel were a factor, no doubt. Then suddenly, Samson unloaded. His next 10 deliveries produced 50 runs.
Fifty in the next 10 balls.
And the moment he took down spin – especially Kuldeep Yadav – the chase was over. When a set batter on a slowing pitch starts dominating spin, you know you’re finished.
CSK didn’t just chase 155, they dismantled it. No panic. No rush. No need for an impact player. Samson finished on 87 off 52 balls, and with him was Kartik Sharma, who made 41 off 31. Chennai’s net run rate boost could be the difference in a few weeks from now.
