After three back-to-back wins, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to build on the gains with a victory and carry the momentum into the latter half of the tournament.
“The players are looking to win this one,” said coach Stephen Fleming ahead of the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) here. “A win will create a bit of gap with the rest of the pack and it’s very important for both sides.”
For CSK, the batsmen and bowlers have rarely clicked together and Fleming admitted that it has been a mixed bag for them so far.
“In some matches, batters have done well and in some bowlers. We haven’t put in a complete performance really. But it’s too much to ask of your team to be at its best in every game. If we do enough to win games and keep improving and get through to the finals then it will be great.”
The form of opener M. Vijay would have no doubt worried the team management but Fleming said that he still backed Vijay.
“He has not been firing for us, true. If you look back, at a similar stage last year we dropped him and he came back stronger. But this year he is doing all the right things. I am still backing him because when he clicks, he is really good.”
On the other hand, SRH’s team mentor K. Srikkanth said that he was not unduly worried about his team’s batting at the top.
“It’s a team that consists of a lot of youngsters and new faces. Shikhar Dhawan is returning. So that will be a big boost. Once the experienced cricketers also click the batting should get sorted out.”
He also said that Quinton de Kock’s form is not a cause for concern and that the “swashbuckling opening batsman” just needs some more time.
