Former Indian pacer and cricket analyst Varun Aaron has pointed to Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) overall slump in form as a major factor behind their dismal campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Speaking on Match Centre Live on JioCinema, Aaron emphasised that the team's bowling unit, in particular, has failed to deliver, with Sri Lankan seamer Matheesha Pathirana enduring a tough season.
"I think poor form has affected the entire team, especially the bowling unit," Aaron said.
"CSK really relied on Pathirana to pick up wickets at the death and defend totals, but he's been completely off the boil. He’s tweaked his action, is struggling to land his yorkers, and has bowled 31 extras this season — that’s far too many for a frontline bowler."
The former India seamer also criticized CSK’s lack of aggression during the middle overs with the bat, saying the team appeared to lack direction before the inclusion of Dewald Brevis brought some much-needed spark.
“With the bat, they’ve lacked impetus in the middle overs. Brevis added a bit of high-octane energy, but until then, they were clearly missing firepower. They need to revisit their auction strategy -- there’s no Tristan Stubbs or Tim David-type finisher in the squad. Yes, MS Dhoni is still around, but you can’t rely on him forever -- it’s been 18 years.”
CSK’s most recent defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Chepauk officially knocked them out of the playoff race, making it their worst home season ever with five losses. They currently sit at the bottom of the table with just two wins from ten matches (4 points), while PBKS have climbed to third with 13 points from nine games.