5 strategical mistakes made by CSK in IPL 2022

4. Absence of quality pace backup for Deepak Chahar

A crucial member of the CSK setup, Deepak Chahar, sustained a quadriceps injury during the third T20I against West Indies in February. Although he was all set to return to the squad in the last week of April after recovering, he supposedly has suffered a back injury at the NCA and will not be available for most of this season.

Chahar’s unavailability has left a huge dent in CSK’s playing XI, considering he has been a consistent performer for them. In IPL 2019, Deepak delivered his best-ever performance, taking 22 wickets in 17 appearances. His bowling prowess continued in the next season when he picked up 12 wickets in 14 matches. In the 2021 edition, he scalped 14 wickets in 15 games and was one of the key reasons for CSK lifting the trophy as well. With these performances, he earned a lucrative contract of INR 14 crore from the franchise this year.

In the absence of Chahar, Chennai’s bowling looks a bit weak due to the lack of quality Indian bowlers. Youngsters like Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary have not been able to make an impact so far in the tournament. They have struggled to pick up wickets in the powerplay, a trademark skill of Deepak Chahar.