Gaji
Runners-up, semi-finalists, champions. Thus reads Chennai Super Kings' record crossways the first four seasons of the IPL. They have been the most reliable and successful team in the league by far, and are the most settled side as well, after retain most of their squad in last year's shuffle.
That they have a settled line-up was reflected in the 2012 auction, when they were willing to spend their full purse on a single acquisition:
Ravindra Jadeja. They were concerned in a fierce bidding war for Jadeja with Deccan Chargers, and eventually beat them in the tie-breaker. Even so, Super Kings cannot afford any complacency and Coach Stephen Fleming knows it. "There is a fine line between finishing first or indeed missing out on the finals," he said in an interview on the franchise's website.
They have tread that line on several occasion - in 2008 and 2010 Super Kings faced a must-win situation in their last league game to make the semis, while last year they almost difficult things for themselves by delay their launch till the very last moment in a stiff chase in the play-off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2011 the batting was typically solid, with MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Michael Hussey, S Badrinath and M Vijay all aggregate in the vicinity of 400 runs. R Ashwin, expectedly, led the team's bowling charts with 20 wickets at 19.40 apiece.
If Super Kings have a weakness, although, it is on the fast-bowling front. Their opponents have often got off to fliers against the quicks, before Dhoni has functional the squeeze and always turned the match with the spinners. On that count, they will be happy to have the services of Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus this time around. When he arrives from the West Indies, he should form a solid partnership with Doug Bollinger, Super Kings' pace spearhead over the last two seasons. Off the field, Super Kings have been at the centre of several controversial issues - as well as a possible conflict of interest with BCCI president N Srinivasan also managing India Cements, the owners of Super Kings - but their on-field performance has been strong enough to steal the headlines and turn aside negative publicity.
Ravindra Jadeja. They were concerned in a fierce bidding war for Jadeja with Deccan Chargers, and eventually beat them in the tie-breaker. Even so, Super Kings cannot afford any complacency and Coach Stephen Fleming knows it. "There is a fine line between finishing first or indeed missing out on the finals," he said in an interview on the franchise's website.
They have tread that line on several occasion - in 2008 and 2010 Super Kings faced a must-win situation in their last league game to make the semis, while last year they almost difficult things for themselves by delay their launch till the very last moment in a stiff chase in the play-off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2011 the batting was typically solid, with MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Michael Hussey, S Badrinath and M Vijay all aggregate in the vicinity of 400 runs. R Ashwin, expectedly, led the team's bowling charts with 20 wickets at 19.40 apiece.
If Super Kings have a weakness, although, it is on the fast-bowling front. Their opponents have often got off to fliers against the quicks, before Dhoni has functional the squeeze and always turned the match with the spinners. On that count, they will be happy to have the services of Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus this time around. When he arrives from the West Indies, he should form a solid partnership with Doug Bollinger, Super Kings' pace spearhead over the last two seasons. Off the field, Super Kings have been at the centre of several controversial issues - as well as a possible conflict of interest with BCCI president N Srinivasan also managing India Cements, the owners of Super Kings - but their on-field performance has been strong enough to steal the headlines and turn aside negative publicity.
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