General / Mandeep / 17 April 2009 / 1

Any team that can boast the batting of the last Twenty20 World Cup's top runscorer in Matthew Hayden and the winning team captain's in MS Dhoni is always going to have a chance. Mandeep Dhanoa talks us through the strengths of last year's finalists.

Chennai Super Kings

Last year's losing finalists are hoping to go one better and take this year's coveted title. With experience throughout the team and an inspirational captain, the Super Kings look set to do well this season.

The Players

Many of the international Chennai players have been there, seen it and done it in one form of international cricket. Whether it is Hayden, Flintoff, Murali, Ntini or Dhoni, the knowhow of winning major events is there in plenty. Despite the late withdrawal of Mike Hussey, this team knows what it is like to perform well in this league. Crucially, Chennai have players who have already performed in a major Twenty20 cricket tournament in South Africa. Hayden scored the most runs in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup at an average of over 88 with a strike rate of 145! Dhoni's inspirational captaincy led a young Indian team to victory, winning some very close encounters along the way.

Flintoff's game is ideally suited to this format. This game is about precision tight bowling, and mostly about big hitting. Freddie will be pleased to get away from the England soap opera, and can simply concentrate on his own game.

Albie Morkel is a likely star of this year's event. A solid bowler, this all rounder comes into his own when batting in the latter stages of an innings. He has performed excellently in the recent matches against Australia.

Jacob Oram can be devastating on his day with huge hitting or tight bowling. Ntini will know the conditions well, Murali is as immense an opponent as ever, and Stephen Fleming's calmness will have a positive effect on the younger Indian players.

The Indians in this team are also not without merit. Joginder Sharma bowled the nail biting pressure filled final over against Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup final, and came out on top. He is a wicket to wicket bowler who bowls good lines and has useful variety. Manpreet Gony bowled well last season, and these conditions will be more helpful for his pace bowling.

Balaji has got himself back into the national squad, and his late swing could cause serious problems. Parthiv Patel is very experienced for one so young, and his batting and keeping continue to improve. However the real Indian star of this team could well prove to be Suresh Raina. Now a regular for Indian in both 50 and 20 over cricket, this young man has learnt to play with much more aggression. His confidence could well propel this team into a new stratosphere.

The Captain

The face and heartbeat of this team, the superstar that is Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not only one of the most expensive players in the IPL, but arguably the most valuable. Seen by many as the best captain around in cricket today, his relaxed manner, total belief in his players, and flexible batting make him the best Twenty20 cricketer on the planet. The role of the captain is even more vital in this short format.

Being able to think clearly under pressure is always an extremely important facet of any player's ability. But the apparent chaos of sixes flying, music blaring, girls dancing, and the crowd screaming, a skipper who can make the right decisions at the right time will often make the difference. A captain who inspires his team and has an aura like quality is a valuable ingredient to success. Warne did it last year with the Rajasthan Royals, and it is no coincidence that Dhoni met him in the final. With yet more experience of captaincy under the intense weight of Indian expectation, MS Dhoni is ready to lift another Twenty20 trophy.

The Bottom Line

The difference between Chennai and the other teams is their experience and the captain. The loss of Flintoff who returns for England duty is minimal compared to the losses of other teams. The Super Kings have winners throughout the team who are well suited to adapting to the conditions, and to the state of the match. These are the characteristics to do well in a Twenty20 tournament, and that is why I fancy Chennai to go all the way this year!

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1. Tejas | 14 May 2009

   Chennai super kings are one of the favorite team for the IPL 2009. They have balance team. Hayden and Raina are both in good form. Dhoni is good captain who can provide good example by his leadership. They have three good all rounders, Andrew Flintoff, Jacob Oram and Albie Morkel. All three are capable of good hitting and picking up crucial wickets. Though Andrew Flintoff out of team due to injury.
   Surprisingly for them the Goa boy Shadab Tyagi is doing good in spin department instead of Spin legend Murlitharan. I wont wonder if Chennai super kings will lift the trophy

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