Not that it’s a competion but of the eight teams participating, Chennai Super Kings had the toughest buildup to this year’s Indian Premier League. As if the burden of carrying an ageing group of players wasn’t enough, they saw two proven match-winners in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh pull out of the tournament in the 11th hour due to personal reasons.
Then, there was the entire coronavirus episode, which saw 13 members of their contingent, including two players, test positive and their quarantine period extended. And finally, for their first match, they were pitted against defending champions Mumbai Indians, a team they had lost to in their five previous meetings, including all four last season.
While the calmness of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni must surely be credited for them not showing any signs of panic, the three-time champions were in desperate need for…