While the delayed edition of the 13th Indian Premier League (IPL) is inching towards the business end, the tournament has delivered every ounce of what an enigmatic thriller caters to the audience. From edge-of-the-seat finishes to double super over climax, cricket nerds all across the world have found it precarious to control their emotions.

Therefore, it goes without saying that the cash-rich tournament has emerged as the sublime stress-busters in a year riddled with pandemic for the eternal fans. However, the T20 extravaganza experienced a major upset in the form of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The three-time champions have taken the cricketing arena by surprise.

Featuring at the bottom of the points-table, nothing seemed to have gone their way ever since the commencement of the ongoing season. Eventually, all doors have closed for the yellow army in their road to the playoffs. On that note, this article sheds spotlight on the dark areas of the yellow outfit.

Ahead of the 14th edition, the team management has much to ponder upon to get things back on track in the upcoming season. If conjectures are to be believed, the BCCI is mulling to shelve out the mega auction which was slated to happen prior to the start of the next season. If it’s scraped off, the Kings’ den may have to struggle to block the dampened holes of the team’s ship.

Let’s check out the problems which the CSK will experience ahead of the IPL 2021 if the mega auction does not happen:

1. Lack of power-hitters in the squad

As it turned out, the usually glamourous team have immensely been off-colour in the ongoing season owing to poor display of willow-work. The ordinary rendition from the team, which once comprised the likes of Dwayne Smith, Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden, makes it more excruciating for the fans.

Grappling to reach the crescendo, the opening batsmen could not make much sound. Except for the first round of clash against Kings XI Punjab. Currently, the team appears to be deprived of swashbuckling power-hitters. They can comfortably deposit 30-40 odd runs in the team’s account single-handedly.

Competing against the best teams who have ruthless power-hitters, the yellow outfit have been unable to live up to the billing. The opening duo- Faf Du Plessis and Shane Watson- have not been able to weather the opposition’s storm. While the former notched 401 runs in 12 outings, the latter could manage to amass 280 odd runs in 10 matches.

Therefore, the top-order batsmen could not set up the much-needed foundation stone. As a result, the kings could not post massive targets or hunt them down.  With the Men in Yellow remaining dim, the skipper and the support staff need to get back to the drawing board. Eventually, make some tough calls so as to get the team back on track.

2. Kedar Jadhav may continue to feature in the CSK squad

The Pune-based batsman is known for his flair and elegance with the bat but not this time. He rose to limelight for his remarkable last-ball-win in the opening game against Mumbai Indians in 2018. Eventually, the yellow army went on to lift the title for the 3rd time in the league’s history.

However, the right-hander has emerged as the biggest upset for the team. The 35-year-old could not play his role to perfection in the ongoing IPL. The underwhelming performance forced the support staff to keep the India-capped cricketer out for few matches. In the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, his miserable 12-ball seven cost the team a very crucial match. Out of the eight outings, Kedar could only manage to score 62 meagre runs.

The CSK must be willing to replace the all-rounder with a formidable power-hitter who can steal the show on any given day. However, with the mega auction apparently becoming a distant dream, Kedar may find his name in the CSK squad.

3. No ideal batsman who can fill the void of Suresh Raina

The Uttar Pradesh cricketer holds a flamboyant potential to snatch matches from the jaws of defeat. To his credit, Raina earlier bagged the record of fastest 5000 runs in IPL history. However, the run-machine Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli broke his record with ease lately.

Although, the southpaw hogged headlines prior to the competition as he decided to pull his name out from the CSK squad. The absence of an experienced batsman apparently led to the dropping of the players’ shoulders as the tournament kicked off in the UAE. Unable to fill the massive boots of the cricketing stalwart, the Chennai-based outfit continuous to search for an answer to this conundrum.

Ignoring his brilliant fielding will be a complete injustice to the acrobatic dynamo. His mere presence on the field can save 20 odd runs along with a couple of crucial wickets. Hence, the team owners remain at the spot of bother ahead of the 14th IPL.

4. Ageing players apparently becoming a liability for the team

The yellow army are also commonly called as Daddy’s army. The reason behind this exotic name is their ageing players. Albeit, the cricketing legends proved their mettle in their revival season after a two-year ban. They went on to decimate the young opposition teams to clinch the coveted silverware.

Going ahead with ‘experience over youth’ philosophy has apparently started to take a toll on them. The ongoing rough patch gives out a clear indication that the old philosophy is fading away with time. As the young guns are displaying the propensity of mental toughness, the experienced side needs to instantly revamp their side in order to remain relevant in the race against the best.

The likes of Shane Watson, Faf Du Plessis, Kedar Jadhav, Imran Tahir, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo and the skipper MS Dhoni feature in this swanky elite-experienced club. Eventually, the owners and the head coach need to burn their midnight oil to rebuild the team from the scratch.

5. The squad looks deprived of T20 specialists

The former Indian Skipper MS Dhoni has spoken at length about the player’s inefficiency to don the hat of responsibility. Given the fact that no player has risen up to occasion raises a big question mark on the squad’s shape. Lacking a quality player in a high-voltage contest can be the worst shot for a team.

Taking a glance at other teams, the short-format master-blasters are Hardik Pandya for the blue outfit, Marcus Stoinis representing Delhi Capitals, Nicholas Pooran donning the Punjab jersey and Nitish Rana cladding on the purple and gold outfit. Unfortunately, the CSK squad have none like them who can turn the tables on the team’s side at any moment.

The support staff needs to brainstorm under the room of professionals as the auction inches closer with time. Thus, overhauling and making some drastic changes is the need of the hour. In MS Dhoni’s words, the yellow brigade need to work on the ‘process’ ahead of the next edition of IPL.