Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would be quite right to dismiss the eight-wicket rout at the hands of Rajasthan Royals as a minor aberration. The franchisee had, after all, notched up three wins on the trot before Sunday’s defeat.
The team management, however, allows no room for the odd blip. On the eve of the side’s fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here on Tuesday, CSK fielding coach Steve Rixon stated that the wake-up call has come at the right time.
“A defeat like this is something that every side needs at some stage. It’s the nature of this game, but to get beaten comprehensively indicates that we need a shake-up,” he said.
RCB fell to a loss in its previous encounter as well — at home to Mumbai Indians (MI) — but unlike CSK, there was no golden run prior. The bowling attack, predictable and lacking in variety, must take the brunt of the blame for the team’s largely insipid performances so far.
Fortunately for the home team, Australia’s World Cup star Mitchell Starc is likely to feature in the playing XI here. The standout bowler in the mega-event, forced to take a break due to a knee injury, will add much-needed bite.
The pace duo of Varun Aaron and Abu Nechim leaked a combined 109 runs in their eight overs in the previous match against MI — every boundary conceded only accentuated the need to have a world-class speedster like Starc in the ranks.
All talk, both in and out of the RCB camp, revolved around the availability of the left-arm pacer. It was a surprise, therefore, when the man himself arrived to address the media.
“I’ll have a bowl after this, so we’ll see how it goes. My knee feels good. Left to me, I would play this match,” Starc said.
Despite featuring in only a couple of Twenty20 matches in recent times, Starc is sure to make an immediate impact.
“I’m quite confident with my game plan, be it in 50-over or T20 cricket. I’m looking forward to playing for RCB, and hopefully contribute to some wins. We may not have won the last two matches, but things can turn around pretty quickly in the IPL,” he said.
