Chennai Super Kings’ Ring of Honor

As we step into IPL 4, we look back at some of our class performers who have since retired or moved out of the team. They brought leadership and contributed to the success of the team. They help CSK win IPL and Champions League events. They brought success, joy and pride to the team and its fans. Some took their contribution off the field and reached out to the fans and the Chennai city. The nominees for this year's Chennai Super Kings Ring of Honor include:

1. Mathew Hayden: Haydo had 2 spectacular seasons with CSK and was a leading scorer. He was an integral part of the team's IPL3 and Champions League successes. He entertained the crowds with his Aussie never-say-die spirit and intimidating presence. He opted out of the recent auction leading to IPL 4 and retired graciously. He calls Chennai as his second home and is part of the city's long term plans as the Director of the planned Cricket Academy
   
2. Muthiah Muralidharan: The crowd favorite, Murali was the leading spinner for CSK in their first 3 IPLs. He brought the intensity that made him the best spinner in the world to help CSK win big. He mentored the likes of Ashwin and Jakati to become good performers. Kochi outbid Chennai with $1.1 Mn. for Murali in IPL 4 but Chennai will never forget its Mapillai and his contributions
   
3. Makaya Ntini: Ntini was the Energizer Bunny who brought cheer to the team in the dressing room. He performed well whenever given the opportunity and was part of the team that was consistently successful in all 3 IPL seasons
   

The process to select includes:

Step 1: Send your votes by E-mail to csk_champs@yahoo.com by March 15, 2011

Step 2: Experts will analyze the merits of the Candidates

Step 3: Merit (Expert Votes) and Popularity (Fan Votes) will be accounted for in determining the players who will enter in to CSK's Ring of Honor

Step 4: Results will be published in the site on the day of IPL 4 inauguration

Your votes do matter. Send it right away to csk_champs@yahoo.com

IPL 4: Stars We Miss!!!

IPL 4 offers the international cricket lovers a galaxy of Super Stars from almost every cricket playing nation. Players too relish this opportunity as the emerging ones brush shoulders with the Stars. However, we are poorer by the absence of some of the international players who are not there due to non selection (in Auction – Graeme Swann, Chris Gayle), non participation (Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, etc.), non available (England and to an extent West Indies players) or non eligible (players from Pakistan). The biggest surprise in the auction was the non selection of Chris Gayle, arguably the best T20 opening batsman. Here is a list of some of the stars missing in action

1. Super Stars
1. Chris Gayle, WI
2. Abdul Razzaq, PAK
3. Misbah Ul Haq, PAK
4. Younis Khan, PAK
5. Shahid Afridi, PAK
6. Shoaib Akthar, PAK
7. Ricky Ponting, AUS
   
2. Stars
1. Andrew Strauss, ENG
2. Michael Clarke, AUS
3. Hashim Amla, SA
4. Graeme Smith, SA
5. Shivanarayan Chanderpaul, WI
6. Ramnesh Sarwan, WI
   
3. Emerging Stars
1. Graeme Swann, ENG
2. James Anderson, ENG
3. Ajantha Mendis, SL
4. Darren Sammy, WI
5. Adrian Bharath, WI
6. Darren Bravo, WI
7. Umar Gul, PAK

Are you aware of others, especially the emerging ones? Please share your thoughts

CSK Opening Batsmen: Position Analysis

Chennai Super Kings have 3 specialists (probably 4, if Abhinav Mukund is signed) for the 2 opening batsmen positions. Opening batsmen are crucial to launch a T20 innings aggressively, often against the best opposition bowlers. Their job is to build a quick 60 to 70 run partnership in the first 7 - 8 overs. Critical success factors include, quick hand eye coordination, range of strokes all around the wicket – especially over the fielders (given the first power play) and good hand and shoulder strength to find the ropes. Here is an analysis of the options CSK has:

1. Murali Vijay: An aggressive opening batsman, Vijay is known for his big hundreds and booming sixes. He bloomed in IPL 3, where he was a Top 10 batsman and was the highest scorer in Champions League 2010. He has an average in the upper 40s and a 100+ strike rate. His recent bad patch in South Africa is definitely a concern but coming back to his favorite Indian grounds should do his confidence a world of good. He is not in the World Cup squad, with India loaded with 3 fantastic openers (Sehwag, Tendulkar and Gambhir). Vijay is also a good fielder especially in taking catches in the deep. Expect him to be a Top 10 batsman once again in IPL 4
   
2. Abhinav Mukund: There have been conflicting reports of him being signed and not signed in various news sources. Abhinav is a solid opener with an average of 50+ in domestic circuit. He was not in the scheme of things in the previous IPLs as Murali Vijay and Mathew Hayden filled the opening slots. He will be the first choice to partner with Murali Vijay, given the greater need for Foreigners in Middle Order, Fast Bowling and All Rounder positions. Expect him to be sturdy and score at an average of 30 – 40 runs at a 90+ strike rate
   
3. Srikkanth Aniruddha: Aniruddha is a specialist opener who was fitted into a middle order slot in IPL 3. He is a decent opener who can fill in if Abhinav is not signed. Expect him to score 20 to 30 runs on average, per game at 90+ strike rate
   
4. Mike Hussey: Mike is a first down batsman who can also fit in the opener slot, if required. Mr. Cricket, as he is called, is a purist who can build solid partnerships in the top order at a healthy strike rate. He is down with a hamstring injury and is not in the Australia World Cup squad. Given the weakness in the middle order, he may be more needed as a first down batsman
   

Compared to IPL 3, CSK has weakened in the opener positions. Even though Mathew Hayden was not highly successful he brought a dominating aura that put opposition teams on the back foot from the first over. He also provided leadership and guided his batting partners through the innings. His loss will certainly hurt CSK

In IPL 4, Murali Vijay and Abhinav Mukund are the first choice for Opening with Mike Hussey moved to first down to augment the middle order. Srikkanth Aniruddha is the first alternate for Abhinav Mukund, if he is not signed or if any of the openers are injured

The Tale of the Yellow Jersey

Chennai Super Kings went with the golden yellow color for their logo (Lion, King of the Jungle) and their Jersey. Blue and Red are popular sports colors but too much of them is boring. Golden yellow really stands out and is often the color of Champions. To best appreciate this phenomenon, let us look around the sports world for evidences

1. Brazilian National team, the most popular team in the history of international Football (soccer), wears Yellow Jersey and has won several FIFA world cups
2. Australian National Cricket team wears yellow attire and remained a dominant force for more than a decade
3. Yellow Jersey is given to Stage Leaders in Tour De' France
4. "Show time" Los Angeles Lakers, the National Basketball Association power house wears Yellow Jersey
5. Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (American Football) wear prominent golden yellow in their attire. They have won 17 super bowls between them and also 3 of the last 5
6. Arsenal and Chelsea, two of European Premier League's top 5 soccer teams wear Yellow Jersey in their away games
7. Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins, two leading teams in National Hockey League wear Yellow Jerseys

A common trait of these champions is the way they play – fearless, entertaining (show time), relentless, skillful, dominating and never say die. Sounds familiar!!! Yes, this is the same trait our own Chennai Super Kings carry and deliver season after season. Go! Chennai super Kings!!!

CSK in the News

The past week had been mixed for CSK players. Dwayne Bravo was spectacular, MS Dhoni, Scott Styris, R Ashwin, Nuwan Kulasekara and Doug Bollinger were adequate, Suresh Raina failed, Fef Du Plessis did not get a chance to play and Mike Hussey getting dropped from the squad

MSD got back to his winning ways by leading India to a 38 run victory in a low scoring, World Cup warm up match against Australia. He scored only 11 runs but had a fantastic effort behind the stumps, stumping 3 Aussies

Ashwin played a significant role in the win with 25 runs and 1 wicket for 47 runs in 10 overs. Suresh Raina carried his bad run with just 12 runs. View CricInfo's Match Report and Score Card for more details

Even as Ricky Ponting called for more sporting pitches for the World Cup, Dhoni defended the Bangalore pitch as a tough one but not a bad one. Captain Cool played down the hype and said pressure isn't pressure anymore but responsibility

Suresh Raina has been identified as a key player in the upcoming World Cup. His liking for the subcontinent conditions and the reasons why he will do well is seen in the CricInfo article Odds on batsmen to deliver in familiar conditions. However, a Times of India Poll conducted last week voted Suresh Raina, by a majority, as the player who won't get a place in India's starting XI. Check the panel of the web page to see the poll

Sydney Morning Herald reported Mike Hussey's disappointment and highlighting of double standard on being left out of the Australian World Cup squad. In their survey, 66% voted yes to the question if this axing is Mr. Cricket's One Day Farewell? According to BBC, his ex-team mate Jason Gillespie accused Hussey of winging over World Cup axing

Dwayne Bravo was spectacular scoring 54 runs (56 balls) and getting 1-40 (8 overs) in Windies' 61 run win over Kenya

Scott Styris gave an all round performance scoring 29 runs (15 balls) and was economical in as 0-26 (6 overs) performance aganist Ireand. New Zealand won the match by 32 runs

Doug Bollinger took 1-29 (6 overs) for Australia in their 38 run loss to India

Nuwan Kulasekara scored 14 runs (8 balls) and opened the bowling for Srilanka going 0-16 (4 overs). Srilanka won by a mammoth 156 runs over Netherlands

Fef Du Plessis did not bat or bowl in South Africa's 8 wicket win over Zimbabwe

Disclaimer: The news and opinions expressed in these web links are not that of this blogger and is the property of the web site owners

All Time Chennai Super Kings Team

Forming an all time team has always been a fan's fantasy world wide and across sports. The yellow brigade is no exception. True! It is only 3 years and it is way too early to discuss. However, with a blazing track record we have established good credentials to come up with our all time XI. The only qualification to be in our All Time team is to be in the CSK team earlier or now

1. Mathew Hayden, Opening Batsman
   
2. Murali Vijay, Opening Batsman
   
3. Michael Hussey, Middle Order Batsman
   
4. Suresh Raina, Middle Order Batsman
   
5. Subramaniam Badrinath, Middle Order Batsman
   
6. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Captain and Wicket Keeper
   
7. Albie Morkel, All Rounder
   
8. Andrew Flintoff, All Rounder
   
9. Doug Bollinger, Fast Bowler
   
10. Muthiah Muralidharan, Spinner
    
11. Ravichandran Ashwin, Spinner
    

I was really torn for not including Makaya Ntini in the team, who through his performance, leadership and attitude brought fun, flavor and success to the team. The recent success of Dougie ruled Ntini out of the lineup. I would like to have him as a first alternate for Fast Bowler position

Dropping Dwayne Bravo, especially given his great legacy and also providing West Indian presence was a big decision. Albie Morkel deserves a place purely based on his performance and Andrew Flintoff for his flamboyance and crowd pulling capabilities. Moreover Bravo has not played a single game for CSK. I would like to have Bravo as the first alternate for All Rounder position

The team has shaped up to have super stars, illustrious alumni and young and aggressive colts. The team is very well balanced and can take up any team any where

I hope you folks agree with the team. Let me know what you think!!!

Chennai Super Kings: India’s Team? YES!!! - Part 2

Chennai Super Kings is emerging as the front runner to be India's team and here are the Top 10 reasons for this:

1. Winners: The first trait to become India's team is to win and to win consistently. Chennai Super Kings are the current IPL Champions and Champions League winners. They were IPL finalist and semi finalist in first 2 seasons and qualified for Champions League in season one. With consistent winning, CSK is establishing a dynasty
   
2. Great Team: The only team that has established a clear identity in IPL is Chennai Super Kings. As fearless entertainers, CSK has done all the talking through their performance on the field and impeccable behavior off it. The greatness of a team is in growing from within and the success of Murali Vijay, R Ashwin and Badrinath is ample proof. Leadership from Captain MSD, Murali and Hayden has created a wonderful atmosphere in the dressing room and guided the team to success on the field. About 11 of their ex-players have been retained or brought back through Auction and continuity is an essential ingredient to sustained success
   
3. Huge Popularity: Chennai Super Kings was Eighth in the list of status trends in India on Facebook - no other IPL teams even made it to Top 10. MSD is arguably the most popular Indian Cricketer (apart from Sachin Tendulkar). Fans love this small town boy's rag to riches story who also happens to be the most successful Captain produced by India. In the first 3 seasons, Suresh Raina, Muthiah Muralidharan, Mathew Hayden, Murali Vijay and Mike Hussey had consistently pleased the crowds with their exploits. Albie Morkel and Doug Bollinger (last year) had set the grounds on fire with stunning performances. The team also has a clean image that has helped grow the likeability factor
   
4. Entertainment Quotient: CSK has a number of match winners who are fearless entertainers. It does help that CSK holds the record for the highest and second highest totals ever scored in IPL. The team's come back wins and stunning performances have spiced up proceedings. Sivamani, with his drums, has become a symbol of entertainment for CSK's fans along with the Cheer Leaders. Their team song Whistle Podu has a toe tapping, hand clapping tune and is very popular with their fans
   
5. Loyal Fan Base: We, the yellow brigade, are the best fans in the IPL - period!!! J
   
6. National / International Appeal: International stars from different states and countries are well represented in Chennai Super Kings. Their entertaining play and winning ways have helped expand their fan base beyond Chennai. Neutral fans look for stars and winners and Chennai Super Kings has both. Even among opponents, Chennai is the most likeable team after their home team, for the fans – a la "Windies of the old" appeal. The common mantra has been let MSD and CSK win against all other teams but mine
7. Extensive Social Reach: CSK has a fantastic website which is well designed and infotaining. It has instituted an award for best blogging, which is unique. CSK has numerous blogs and is well represented in social media like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, etc. As explained above, CSK was Eighth in the list of status trends on Facebook. CSK has a Junior Cricketers tournament for youngsters in tie-up with Vijay TV
   
8. Great Fan Experience: CSK has rolled off a Red Carpet Fans Club at an affordable price and comes with great benefits. Their on field experience has been enhanced by a great team, renovated stadium and entertainment
   
9. Ownership and Management: India Cements, CSK's owners, are the only ones in IPL who have prior experience in managing a first class Cricket team. Team President VB Chandrasekhar and the Coaching team bring a high level of professionalism as reflected in the kind of team members they select, the way players carry themselves on and off the field and the winning tradition they have set
   
10. Best Brand Value: Having done all the right things, the right way - each time and every time, CSK has built the best brand value in IPL. They have also become profitable early. They have a growing sponsors base that will only grow exponentially after their recent successes in IPL and Champions League
    

I am sure you have many more ideas, thoughts, reasons and objections. Please feel free to share them