Dhoni’s CSK have a slew of selection issues ahead of their first encounter. At least three of their top players are likely to be unavailable for selection. Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, and Dwaine Pretorious will all be unavailable for CSK’s first game for various reasons.
The IPL 2022 opening match will take place on March 26 at the Wankhede stadium. The first match will feature the defending champions Chennai Super Kings going against the runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders.
Crisis Among Key Players
England all-rounder Moeen Ali did not yet acquire his visa for India. Moeen Ali was one of the players the franchise retained prior to the IPL 2022 mega auction. He was drafted at a fee of Rs 8 crore.
“On February 28, he applied for his visa. More than 20 days already passed since filing the application. He is a frequent visitor to India, but he does not have the necessary travel documents. We are hopeful that he would join the team soon,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan stated in a report.
Dwaine Pretorius will not be available until after South Africa’s ODI series against Bangladesh. This means that he will most likely miss the first game as he will be released from quarantine on match day.
Chahar tore his hamstring in the third and final T20 encounter against the West Indies in Kolkata. He would be out of commission for at least six to eight weeks as a result of the injury. Chahar is quite likely to miss the first part of the IPL, if not the entire competition.
Dhoni’s CSK will suffer greatly as a result of Chahar’s injury and consequent absence till mid-April. Chahar has taken 32 powerplay wickets since 2019, trailing just Trent Boult (21). MS Dhoni has employed him 35 times in 46 matches to bowl three overs in the powerplay, the most for a bowler. This emphasises Chahar’s role in the CSK lineup.
Possible Squad Line-up
Ruturaj Gaikwad, one of the available players, is fully fit and ready for the opening match. Devon Conway, a new signing, maybe his opening partner. With Moeen Ali almost certainly out, Mumbai’s young leg-spinner Prashant Solanki could get the call up.
Morevover, CSK may replace Moeen Ali at No 3 with Robin Uthappa.
Ravindra Jadeja will start at No. 5 ahead of seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube. Dwayne Bravo and skipper MS Dhoni will finish seventh and eighth, respectively.
However, with Deepak Chahar out injured, CSK would be at a disadvantage in the bowling department. Rajvardhan Hangargekar, a dark horse with batting ability, might be the best choice. However, Dhoni may choose Adam Milne and Chris Jordan as his two frontline pacers due to their swinging abilities.
Mitchell Santner is a skilled left-arm spinner as well. However, since Ravindra Jadeja is the first name on the team sheet, Dhoni is unlikely to play with two left-arm spinners.
