Chennai Super Kings are in trouble with the bowling department. The team has injury problems, and Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL campaign is also over. All in all, the state of Chennai’s bowling department is not that good. Stephen Fleming, the head coach of Chennai, expressed his disappointment after Mustafiz, who was performing well, played his last match in this year’s IPL yesterday.
Chennai lost by 7 wickets to Punjab Kings yesterday in IPL. In this match, Chennai pacer Deepak Chahar left the field with only two balls. Earlier this season, he could not play in two matches due to injury. Chennai did not get pacer Matisha Pathirana in this match due to injury. Another pacer Tushar Deshpande did not go to the field with the team due to flu. But the problem does not end here.
Pathirana and spinner Mahish Tikshana will soon return to Sri Lanka for visa work for T20 World Cup. However, Chennai hopes to get these two Sri Lankan bowlers in the return match against Punjab on Sunday. Although that is not yet certain. And with yesterday’s match, Bangladesh pacer Mostafizur Rahman’s IPL campaign for Chennai has come to an end.
In the last match, despite not getting a wicket, Mustafiz got 22 runs in 4 overs as well as a maiden. He will join the Bangladesh team after returning home. Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe in T20 series from tomorrow. Mustafiz is expected to take the field in the fourth match of this series after rest.
Chennai is fourth in the table with 10 points from 10 matches. The franchise team will play 4 more matches in the league. Anything can happen in between. After the loss to Punjab, Chennai head coach Fleming highlighted the problem with the team’s bowling department, saying, “Sri Lankan boys will come back (to the country) for visas.” Hopefully they will finish soon and we will have them in the next match. (Yesterday’s game against Punjab) Richard Gleeson did well and that is positive. Losing Mostafiz is disappointing. There’s actually a lot going on (in the bowling department).”
Fleming said about Chahar’s injury, “Deepak Chahar did not feel good. Initially, it seemed not good. So I am waiting for positive news from the physios.
The 36-year-old English pacer Gleeson made a good debut yesterday. He was one of the 3 wickets taken by Chennai. He also swung the ball in both directions. However, apart from Gleeson and Pathirana, there are no foreign specialist pacers in Chennai’s squad.
Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McLenahan said on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Time Out’ show that Chennai may use left-arm finger spinner Mitchell Santner in the match against Punjab, ‘No Mostafizur. If Pathirana is out for more than one match, I would play Mitchell Santner against Punjab. Because, he can be bowled against Jonny Bairstow and Prabsimran in the power play. And if Riley Russo can be dismissed, he will do well in the middle overs as well.
