Matt Henry and teammates of Chennai Super Kings (ANI Photo) Heading into a crucial clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, Chennai Super Kings are looking to bounce back from a disappointing five-wicket loss to Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Despite putting 209 on the board, powered by a fluent 73 off 43 balls from Ayush Mhatre, CSK could not defend the total as Punjab chased it down with eight balls remaining. Shreyas Iyer led the charge with a composed fifty while early fireworks from Priyanshu Arya (39 off 11) set the tone for the chase. After the defeat, Ravichandran Ashwin appealed to the fans to be patient and urged them not to target the younger players. “My wish to CSK fans is please don’t insult any player. Support each and every one of them,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Being a fan of a team is not just about winning. The five titles CSK has won is a legacy, but youngsters should not be burdened with that burden,” he explained. “The burden should not fall on Ayush Mhatre or Urvil Patel. They have to go out and play with joy. They will learn and in a few years the side will become unbeatable again,” he revealed. CSK’s innings started with openers Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, but Samson’s struggles continued as he fell cheaply again. Mhatre then settled the situation alongside Gaikwad, racing to a 29-ball fifty to take CSK past 100 in 10 overs before Yuzvendra Chahal removed the skipper for 28. Mhatre continued before being dismissed by Vijaykumar Vyshak, who also climbed to the top of the Purple Cap order. However, the bigger concern for ČSK remains their bowling unit. In the two matches, they conceded 338 runs in just 30.5 overs, taking only seven wickets. Even their spinners, Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar, were expensive against Punjab, conceding 84 runs in eight overs without making a dent. The pace attack of Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboja also struggled to impress. It doesn’t get any easier for CSK as they now face a confident RCB side that looks much more composed than in previous seasons. Led by Virat Kohli at the top, RCB’s batting unit seems settled, with Devdutt Padikkal rediscovering form through a blistering 26-ball 61 in their previous outing and skipper Rajat Patidar anchoring the middle order effectively. RCB’s bowling, once considered their weak link, has shown marked improvement. In the absence of Josh Hazlewood, Jacob Duffy impressed with a three-wicket haul, troubling the opposition batsmen with crisp short delivery. The team may also consider fielding left-arm spinner Mangesh Yadav in place of Abhinandan Singh. Meanwhile, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma ensured control in the middle overs. For CSK, a lot will depend on Samson rediscovering his form quickly. With scores of 6 and 7 so far, the T20 World Cup winner has failed to deliver the strong starts expected of him. The clash against RCB could be the perfect stage for a turnaround, but unless their bowling unit improves significantly, CSK will face an uphill battle against an in-form Bengaluru side.
