![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
Chennai Super Kings
One of the more outspoken players in the Chennai Super Kings side, Ravichandran Ashwin, once said to Harsha Bhogle that the Super Kings were looking to emulate Manchester United's EPL heroics in the IPL. Chennai have made to the last four of the IPL seven times in seven attempts, while rumbling on to lift the trophy twice. They have also made to the CLT20 every season, barring the inaugural one. In April 2013, Manchester United sealed their thirteenth Premier League title. However, both teams have tapered off since then.
Further dissection shows that Chennai's trophy cabinet has been empty in the last three years. Embroiled in off-field controversies, the Super Kings faltered at crunch as they were out-gunned by Kings XI Punjab for the third successive time in IPL 2014. Having said that, resilience has been Chennai's calling card ever since their inception, and they will still start the CLT20 as strong contenders.
How they qualified: Third place finish in the Indian Premier League, losing the second qualifier to eventual runners-up - Kings XI Punjab.
Strengths: Galaxy of batting stars
M Vijay and Michael Hussey were allowed to drift away at the auctions table, but Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum took very little time to bed into the set-up, amassing 513 runs in a destructive opening union. Suresh Raina, armed with 3933 runs in IPL and CLT20 put together, is the engine-room of the middle order. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni's finishing prowess needs no introduction. Faf du Plessis, who razed an incredible 464 runs in 5 games in the recently concluded tri-series in Zimbabwe, adds more heft to the middle order, in addition to manufacturing winning moments on the field. The former champions will be further bolstered by the return of a fit-again Dwayne Bravo, who only featured in a solitary match in the Indian Premier League.
Weakness: Bowling has always been Chennai's Achilles' heel. Mohit Sharma, the recipient of the Purple Cap, generated teasing seam movement upfront, but was guilty of leaking runs at the death, much like his compatriots. A lot will be expected of the Haryana pacer, especially after a couple of overseas tours with the Indian ODI team.The Jekyll-Hyde bowling of Ashish Nehra is another cause for concern. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who proved to be easy pickings in the IPL, will have to tighten things up and turn on the asphyxiation mode, like they did in the ODIs in England.
Key Players: Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, and Mohit Sharma.
Kolkata Knight Riders
If you wonder, how team spirit and belief can work wonders, look no further than Kolkata Knight Riders. From being a laughing stock, KKR have surged to two IPL title triumphs in three years.
This will be their third appearance in the CLT20. Having mustered just 4 and 6 points in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the Knight Riders will be keen to lift themselves and push for their maiden CLT20 success, despite the absence of some influential players.
How they qualified: After losing five out of seven games, Kolkata Knight Riders, stormed back to reclaim the IPL trophy on the back of a record nine successive victories.
Strengths: KKR boast of a varied bowling attack. Vinay Kumar is a disciplined line-and-length bowler, Pat Cummins injects raw pace and extra bounce, Piyush Chawla's googlies pose questions in the middle overs, and Sunil Narine's arsenal of variations can befuddle even the best of batsmen. Believe it or not, Narine bowled a maiden in a Super Over in the Caribbean Premier League this year. The West Indian spinner is a game-changer in the truest sense of the word.
Robin Uthappa was the fulcrum of the batting department in the IPL, racking up 660 runs, studded with 40+ scores in ten successive innings. With Gautam Gambhir's stock plummeting further, the Karnataka batsman is touted assume a doubly significant role.
Weakness: However, Uthappa was laid low by a knee injury coupled with poor form, following the stellar IPL season. The unavailability of Shakib Al Hasan has come as a major blow for KKR, as the marquee Bangladesh all-rounder consistently delivered both with the bat and bowl, so much so that he kept Jacques Kallis out of the XI. Shakib is currently serving a revised three-month ban imposed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for involving in a verbal altercation with the national coach, Chandrika Hathurasinghe. To aggravate Kolkata's worries, Morne Morkel has also been ruled out of the entire tournament with a shoulder injury. Chris Lynn too joins the list of walking wounded. This leaves KKR with only five foreign players to fill four berths: Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine, Ryan ten Doeschate, Andre Russell and Pat Cummins.
Key Players: Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine.
Sunfoil Dolphins
Bereft of big-ticket players and short on international experience, Sunfoil Dolphins, who are making their CLT20 debut this season, are a less fancied bunch with not much expected of them. Flying under the radar though can be a blessing in disguise, and with T20 cricket offering a level playing field, Dophins will be eager to make a splash and showcase their talent on a bigger platform.
How they qualified: By edging Cape Cobras in a thrilling final to win the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.
Strengths: A good bowling attack. Kyle Abott and Robbie Frylinck, who collected 16 wickets apiece in Dolphins' run to the Ram Slam title, will be the chief protagonists on the bowling front. Aside from getting the ball to zip off the deck, both Abott and Frylinck can also strike a few lusty hits with the bat, lower down the order.
Weakness: David Miller, who cracked 383 runs in 12 Ram Slam encounters at a dazzling strike rate of 153.20, has been snatched away by Kings XI Punjab. The batting presents a lop-sided outlook in the absence of Miller. Getting accustomed to the Indian conditions will be another acid test for Sunfoil Dolphins.
In the absence of Miller, much will depend upon captain Morne van Wyk and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, both of whom have made fleeting international appearances for South Africa in the limited overs format.
Key Players: Kyle Abott and Morne van Wyk.
Perth Scorchers
Having been dispatched home win-less after three proper thrashings and a no-result in the previous edition of the CLT20, the Perth Scorchers will leave no stone unturned to shore up their game and give a better account of themselves. In fact, Scorchers' coach, Justin Langer, has vociferously commented that they are hoping to set the record straight by winning the tournament.
How they qualified: By ending Western Australia cricket's decade-long wait for a championship title with a facile 39-run win over Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL final.
Strengths: Scorchers have a fair sprinkling of international stars, none more impactful than Mitchell Marsh. Their dismal performance last year coincided with Mitchell's hamstring injury. It may be recalled that the dashing all-rounder blitzed a pair of 80s in the tri-series in Zimbabwe. Nathan Coulter-Nile and the 43-year old Brad Hogg will be entrusted with the responsibility of providing crucial breakthroughs with the ball. The BBL champions also have youthful exuberance in the form of Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, and Joel Paris.
Weakness: Shaun Marsh's elbow injury, Alfonso Thomas' absence and the retirement of captain Simon Katich has foiled the balance of Perth Scorchers. Despite being a seasoned T20 campaigner, there will be plenty of pressure on Adam Voges, who was handed over the captaincy reins, just days before the tourney opener.
Key Players: Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
One of the more outspoken players in the Chennai Super Kings side, Ravichandran Ashwin, once said to Harsha Bhogle that the Super Kings were looking to emulate Manchester United's EPL heroics in the IPL. Chennai have made to the last four of the IPL seven times in seven attempts, while rumbling on to lift the trophy twice. They have also made to the CLT20 every season, barring the inaugural one. In April 2013, Manchester United sealed their thirteenth Premier League title. However, both teams have tapered off since then.
Further dissection shows that Chennai's trophy cabinet has been empty in the last three years. Embroiled in off-field controversies, the Super Kings faltered at crunch as they were out-gunned by Kings XI Punjab for the third successive time in IPL 2014. Having said that, resilience has been Chennai's calling card ever since their inception, and they will still start the CLT20 as strong contenders.
How they qualified: Third place finish in the Indian Premier League, losing the second qualifier to eventual runners-up - Kings XI Punjab.
Strengths: Galaxy of batting stars
M Vijay and Michael Hussey were allowed to drift away at the auctions table, but Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum took very little time to bed into the set-up, amassing 513 runs in a destructive opening union. Suresh Raina, armed with 3933 runs in IPL and CLT20 put together, is the engine-room of the middle order. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni's finishing prowess needs no introduction. Faf du Plessis, who razed an incredible 464 runs in 5 games in the recently concluded tri-series in Zimbabwe, adds more heft to the middle order, in addition to manufacturing winning moments on the field. The former champions will be further bolstered by the return of a fit-again Dwayne Bravo, who only featured in a solitary match in the Indian Premier League.
Weakness: Bowling has always been Chennai's Achilles' heel. Mohit Sharma, the recipient of the Purple Cap, generated teasing seam movement upfront, but was guilty of leaking runs at the death, much like his compatriots. A lot will be expected of the Haryana pacer, especially after a couple of overseas tours with the Indian ODI team.The Jekyll-Hyde bowling of Ashish Nehra is another cause for concern. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who proved to be easy pickings in the IPL, will have to tighten things up and turn on the asphyxiation mode, like they did in the ODIs in England.
Key Players: Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, and Mohit Sharma.
Kolkata Knight Riders
If you wonder, how team spirit and belief can work wonders, look no further than Kolkata Knight Riders. From being a laughing stock, KKR have surged to two IPL title triumphs in three years.
This will be their third appearance in the CLT20. Having mustered just 4 and 6 points in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the Knight Riders will be keen to lift themselves and push for their maiden CLT20 success, despite the absence of some influential players.
How they qualified: After losing five out of seven games, Kolkata Knight Riders, stormed back to reclaim the IPL trophy on the back of a record nine successive victories.
Strengths: KKR boast of a varied bowling attack. Vinay Kumar is a disciplined line-and-length bowler, Pat Cummins injects raw pace and extra bounce, Piyush Chawla's googlies pose questions in the middle overs, and Sunil Narine's arsenal of variations can befuddle even the best of batsmen. Believe it or not, Narine bowled a maiden in a Super Over in the Caribbean Premier League this year. The West Indian spinner is a game-changer in the truest sense of the word.
Robin Uthappa was the fulcrum of the batting department in the IPL, racking up 660 runs, studded with 40+ scores in ten successive innings. With Gautam Gambhir's stock plummeting further, the Karnataka batsman is touted assume a doubly significant role.
Weakness: However, Uthappa was laid low by a knee injury coupled with poor form, following the stellar IPL season. The unavailability of Shakib Al Hasan has come as a major blow for KKR, as the marquee Bangladesh all-rounder consistently delivered both with the bat and bowl, so much so that he kept Jacques Kallis out of the XI. Shakib is currently serving a revised three-month ban imposed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for involving in a verbal altercation with the national coach, Chandrika Hathurasinghe. To aggravate Kolkata's worries, Morne Morkel has also been ruled out of the entire tournament with a shoulder injury. Chris Lynn too joins the list of walking wounded. This leaves KKR with only five foreign players to fill four berths: Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine, Ryan ten Doeschate, Andre Russell and Pat Cummins.
Key Players: Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine.
Sunfoil Dolphins
Bereft of big-ticket players and short on international experience, Sunfoil Dolphins, who are making their CLT20 debut this season, are a less fancied bunch with not much expected of them. Flying under the radar though can be a blessing in disguise, and with T20 cricket offering a level playing field, Dophins will be eager to make a splash and showcase their talent on a bigger platform.
How they qualified: By edging Cape Cobras in a thrilling final to win the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.
Strengths: A good bowling attack. Kyle Abott and Robbie Frylinck, who collected 16 wickets apiece in Dolphins' run to the Ram Slam title, will be the chief protagonists on the bowling front. Aside from getting the ball to zip off the deck, both Abott and Frylinck can also strike a few lusty hits with the bat, lower down the order.
Weakness: David Miller, who cracked 383 runs in 12 Ram Slam encounters at a dazzling strike rate of 153.20, has been snatched away by Kings XI Punjab. The batting presents a lop-sided outlook in the absence of Miller. Getting accustomed to the Indian conditions will be another acid test for Sunfoil Dolphins.
In the absence of Miller, much will depend upon captain Morne van Wyk and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, both of whom have made fleeting international appearances for South Africa in the limited overs format.
Key Players: Kyle Abott and Morne van Wyk.
Perth Scorchers
Having been dispatched home win-less after three proper thrashings and a no-result in the previous edition of the CLT20, the Perth Scorchers will leave no stone unturned to shore up their game and give a better account of themselves. In fact, Scorchers' coach, Justin Langer, has vociferously commented that they are hoping to set the record straight by winning the tournament.
How they qualified: By ending Western Australia cricket's decade-long wait for a championship title with a facile 39-run win over Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL final.
Strengths: Scorchers have a fair sprinkling of international stars, none more impactful than Mitchell Marsh. Their dismal performance last year coincided with Mitchell's hamstring injury. It may be recalled that the dashing all-rounder blitzed a pair of 80s in the tri-series in Zimbabwe. Nathan Coulter-Nile and the 43-year old Brad Hogg will be entrusted with the responsibility of providing crucial breakthroughs with the ball. The BBL champions also have youthful exuberance in the form of Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, and Joel Paris.
Weakness: Shaun Marsh's elbow injury, Alfonso Thomas' absence and the retirement of captain Simon Katich has foiled the balance of Perth Scorchers. Despite being a seasoned T20 campaigner, there will be plenty of pressure on Adam Voges, who was handed over the captaincy reins, just days before the tourney opener.
Key Players: Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/s/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
