CHENNAI SUPER KINGS:
Owned by India Cements, Chennai Super Kings have been one of the consistent performers at IPL. Finishing as runners-up in the inaugural edition, they bagged the coveted title in 2010. For the first three editions, big ticket Indian players like MS Dhoni rubbed shoulders with international talents like Muttiah Muralitharan, Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden and rising stars like Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin. The side went all the way at the South Africa edition of CLT20 making 2010 a doubly successful year.Ahead of the IPL Player Auction 2011, the Super Kings retained the services of captain Dhoni, M Vijay, Raina and Albie Morkel. At the auction, not only did they bring back players like S Badrinath, Ashwin, Doug Bollinger and Hussey, but also made some inspired picks like Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis. With a good dose of Indian players in their squad including the young Anirudha Srikkanth and Yo Mahesh, the Super Kings look a well-balanced outfit.
Owned by India Cements, Chennai Super Kings have been one of the consistent performers at IPL. Finishing as runners-up in the inaugural edition, they bagged the coveted title in 2010. For the first three editions, big ticket Indian players like MS Dhoni rubbed shoulders with international talents like Muttiah Muralitharan, Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden and rising stars like Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin. The side went all the way at the South Africa edition of CLT20 making 2010 a doubly successful year.Ahead of the IPL Player Auction 2011, the Super Kings retained the services of captain Dhoni, M Vijay, Raina and Albie Morkel. At the auction, not only did they bring back players like S Badrinath, Ashwin, Doug Bollinger and Hussey, but also made some inspired picks like Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis. With a good dose of Indian players in their squad including the young Anirudha Srikkanth and Yo Mahesh, the Super Kings look a well-balanced outfit.Bowlers:
Shadab Jakati, VY Mahesh, R Ashwin, Joginder Sharma, Doug Bollinger, Nuwan Kulasekara, Vijaykumar, Tim Southee, Salil Yadav.Batsmen:
S Badrinath, George Bailey, Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Aniruda Srikkanth,
K Vasudevadas.
Wicket Keeper:
Wriddhiman Saha, MS Dhoni (Captain).
Support Staff:
Andy Bichel, Stephen Fleming, Gregory King, Tom Simsek, R Radhakrishnan, Rodney Parry, Steve Rixon, Lakshmi Narayanan.
LEADING BATSMEN
MTS
AVG
S/R
RUNS
SK RAINA
46
38.19
142.05
1375
MS DHONI
43
38.26
132.27
1033
LEADING BOWLERS
MTS
WKTS
S/R
ECON
ALBIE MORKEL
39
41
19.85
8.34
SHADAB JAKATI
20
26
15.46
7.58
The awe-inspiring touch of history is unmistakable the moment you step into the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai through the V Pattabhiraman Gate. This venue has been the spiritual home of South Indian cricket since 1916 when Presidency matches were staged. Since then the stadium has only grown in stature.
Chepauk, the popular name of this venue, hosted its first Test in 1933-34 when Douglas Jardine led England against CK Nayudu's India. The first-ever Ranji Trophy match, Mysore vs Tamil Nadu, was also played here. In subsequent years, the stadium hosted a number of well-contested Tests matches and one-dayers. The famous tied Test between India and Australia in 1986-87, only the second in the game's history, was an example of that.
But one batsman has a special connection with Chepauk - Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster unfurled one of his most remarkable innings here against Pakistan in 1999 but a back spasm prevented the batting maestro to complete the job then. He had to wait nearly a decade to make amends.
The Mumbaikar scripted an unbeaten hundred against England in 2008 that helped India hunt down a target close to 400 on the fifth day of the Test. His hundred against Australia in that epic 2000-01 series is also fresh in every cricket lover's memory for its aesthetic quality and timing.
The pitch for the Test between India and South Africa in early 2008 produced another classic -Virender Sehwag's blistering triple hundred. Thanks to the innings, Sehwag was welcomed into the exclusive club of batsmen to have scored two or more triple tons, Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara being the only other members till then.
End Names: Pavilon End and V Pattibhiraman Gate End
EST: 1932.
