"Champion of Champions" Chennai Super Kings

[ajaybaskar]

Spotlight on Dhoni, not Chennai Super Kings

New Delhi: Same role but a different avatar awaits MS Dhoni as he attempts to add more sparkle to Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) bejewelled crown against a contrasting backdrop of the fiasco in England.

Dhoni tasted defeat for the first time in a Test series, and loss in the T20 and ODI series against England completed a miserable England tour for him. En route, India conceded their No. 1 rank in Tests and No. 4 in ODIs to the English team. And if the trend were to continue, the defending Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) champions have reason to fear when they start their campaign against fellow IPL team Mumbai Indians on Saturday.

Like with India, Dhoni's love affair with the Super Kings has been none less steamy. Other than the CL crown in 2010, the trophy cabinet in CSK headquarters also boasts of IPL 2010 and 2011 silverware. However, colours on the canvas of Dhoni's career have faded since the World Cup and IPL triumphs early this year.

Dhoni not only suffered a damaging loss as a captain but also had fingers pointed on him in England as a Test batsman. Some baffling decisions on the field had a telling effect on Dhoni's batting and wicketkeeping in the Test series. And though he came into his own with the bat during the ODI series, it wasn't enough to prevent a whitewash.

But observers of Dhoni's career will agree that T20 is Dhoni's zone, and it won't be a bolt from the blue if CSK script another success story under him. Hindsight of that, though, is that it will add conviction to the notion that Dhoni's formula works only in limited-overs cricket.

So it's kind of a double-edged sword for Dhoni. While a win may make his CV weightier, it can also label him as a limited-overs specialist, leading to his axing as India's Test captain.

But the BCCI's decision to retain Kris Srikkanth as the chairman of selectors indicates a similar kind of stance may be taken for Dhoni, considering India's climb to No. 1 in Tests and World Cup success under their second most successful captain.

Considering all that, whether CSK win or lose, the spotlight for the next 20 days will be on Dhoni, with critics eagle-eyeing every move he makes on the field. And for Team India, it's from where the rebuilding process starts.

[ajaybaskar]

CSK Fan Made Video

[ajaybaskar]

Changes in seating arrangement at MAC

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has decided not to use the G, H, and I stands of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium during the matches of the Champions League Twenty 20 tournament here between September 24 and October 9.

In a press release here on Thursday, the TNCA intimated the following changes to the seating arrangements: paid ticket holders of ‘G' and ‘H' lower tier will be accommodated in A, B, C lower tier through Gate 5 & 7 on Victoria Hostel Road; paid ticket holders of ‘I' lower tier will be accommodated in F lower tier through Gate 13 on Bells Road; paid ticket holders of ‘F' lower tier will be accommodated in D lower tier through Gate 10 on Wallajah Road.

Paid ticket holders of G, H and I upper tier will be accommodated in F upper tier through Gate 13 on Bells Road; complimentary ticket holders of G, H, I upper tier will be accommodated in D upper tier through Gate 10 on Wallajah Road; paid ticket holders of D Stand upper tier will be accommodated in E upper tier through Gate No. 11 on Wallajah Road ; hospitality boxes in ‘G' Stand will be accommodated in ‘B' Stand hospitality boxes through Gate 9 on Victoria Hostel Road; hospitality boxes in ‘H' Stand will be accommodated in ‘C' Stand hospitality boxes through Gate 9 on Victoria Hostel Road.

The holders of paid and complimentary tickets in G, H and I Stands (lower and upper tiers) as well as the paid ticket holders in D and E Stands (upper), have been requested to reach the venue half-an-hour prior to the opening of the gates with their tickets and ascertain their new seats.

All substituted seats are either in equivalent or superior stands, the release added. — Sports Reporter

[ajaybaskar]

CSK are placed in a tough group, says Stephen Fleming

CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that it won't be a cakewalk for his side to defend their Champions League Twenty20 title as they have been placed in a tough group in this edition of the tournament.

Title holders CSK have been clubbed alongside fellow IPL side Mumbai Indians, 2009 champions New South Wales, South Africa's Cape Cobras and Trinidad and Tobago from the West Indies in Group A.

And Fleming said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will have to play as a unit to give them any chance of registering back-to-back titles.

"Looking at the two groups obviously, we are in a strong one. We are playing our opening match against Mumbai. On paper, I also find New South Wales a pretty formidable team. Most of the teams are good on paper," he said on the eve of their tournament opener against Mumbai Indians on Friday.

"Team philosophy works for us. But with the quality of competition and the teams in our group, it is going to be tough to win the tournament," he added.

Asked whether the possibility of winning back-to-back titles would act as a motivation for his players going into the tournament, he said, "Not exactly. I think it is for the coach to keep the boys focussed on their job. But you always play a tournament to win it. It is our desire to keep doing well in the tournament. The players are proud to represent CSK and there is already a nice unity among them."

With a new pitch on offer at the M Chidambaram stadium, the former New Zealand skipper said his team's success will also depend on how quickly they get accustomed to the wicket.

"We need to make our assessments fast and then adapt our game according to the condition. The nature of the surface has changed completely and adjusting to it will be one of our biggest challenge. But we have the balance and ability to adjust our game and be competitive," he insisted.

Fleming was also not concerned with the fact that he got very little time to prepare the team for the tournament as most of the Chennai players have assembled in batches.

"It is the same. It is nice to welcome the players again in the group. The boys were excited to be together again. And we also had a very good practice session today," he said.

Meanwhile, Mike Hussey said that along with fellow opener Murali Vijay he is hoping to provide good starts to CSK's innings, which according to him has been the team's mantra both in CLT20 as well as IPL.

"The real strength of CSK has been to get off to good starts and then keep wickets in hand for other batsmen like Dhoni and Morkel to come in and take advantage. It is very important for us to get off to a good start, to set the platform for a big score," the Australian batsman said.

He also said that he shares a good chemistry with Vijay. "I think we (me and Vijay) complement each other quite well. We are probably still quite new as an opening pair but we are getting better day by day. We also get along very well off the field," Hussey said.

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Sadesa 2 mill + tie breaker amount for CSK .

I bet the CSK guys put in the tie-breaker amount as "latchathi onnu" and beat DC by 1 rupee .

[VinodKumar's]

Jadduvum vanthutaan CSK ku

INternational thaan oothikitchu IPL aachum sennai jeyikanum

[VinodKumar's]

any live stream ?

[wizzy]

P_B bingalaki billapi

Jadugar+Jogi

Bell-head's gall

[ajaybaskar]

Cricket is many things to many people to me however it is a celebration and having all my friends over to dinner to have a home cooked meal typifies all the great things about the landscape of the cricketing community. Some of these include, mateship/family, cultural inclusion and versatility of experience, long may the wonderful relationships between two great countries, India & Australia continue. Oh and by the way, the kitchen table is the ideal place to bring all these elements together - Matthew Hayden

[VinodKumar's]

Ajay u mundhified me .

Hayden They should have called Hussey , Dougie , Bailey and Kulasekaran also