One of the trademarks of a typical Chennai Super Kings team, especially while playing at its fortress, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, is having a plethora of spinners at its disposal. However, in the match against Gujarat Titans, CSK brought in death-bowling specialist Matheesha Pathirana in place of a spinner. This uncharacteristic move worked like magic as CSK’s pace attack dominated the game. Each of its five medium pacers took at least one wicket, showcasing the depth and versatility of CSK’s bowling lineup. Ravindra Jadeja didn’t even have to bowl his full quota of overs, further highlighting the success of CSK’s pace attack. The decision to go with two death bowlers, Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman, worked wonders for CSK as it allowed other bowlers like Tushar Deshpande to shine. The Gujarat Titans’ seamer, Mohit Sharma, also acknowledged that CSK’s strategy was based on the pitch conditions. This bold move by CSK’s captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, reflects his willingness to make strategic decisions to optimize the resources at hand, similar to the team’s former captain, M.S. Dhoni.
