IPL 2020: CSK vs KKR Game Plan 1 – Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery threat for CSK!
The 49th match of the IPL 2020 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the 49th game of IPL 2020 – CSK vs KKR.
NOTE: Stats are updated till 27 October (Match No. 47: SRH vs DC)
CSK vs KKR: Chakravarthy threat
Even though his selection in the national T20 team grabbed more headlines, Varun’s performance in IPL 2020 went under the radar. Whilst Kuldeep Yadav, the senior international, failed to step up and Sunil Narine missed a few games due to the bowling action drama, the Karnataka-born bowler didn’t let his team down.
Varun made his IPL debut, in Eden Gardens, against KKR only and conceded 25 runs in his first over. Now, for the same team, he is among the top-10 economical bowlers this season. He has held the fort high for his team in the middle-overs.
Despite having ‘leg-break’ as his bowling style on major cricket sites, Varun is yet to bowl a traditional leg-break delivery this season. Bowling variations on the good-length are his strength. Bowling about 70% of his deliveries on the good-length, Varun has picked up nine wickets at an excellent economy of 6.07.
As the ball type data tells, Varun’s major weapons are googlies, carrom balls and faster ones. Whilst other leg-spinners have bowled 33% googlies (of their total balls), Varun, about 50%. The other leggies (combined) have bowled 4 and 23 carrom balls and the faster ones, Varun, 65 and 60 respectively.
The one variation in which Varun lags behind the other leg-spinners is sliders. Varun has bowled just one slider and conceded four runs. Other leg-spinners have bowled 265 balls and picked up 14 wickets at an economy of 7.72. They also induce a false shot on every 5.64 balls. And, he will have to use this variation against CSK.
In his previous meeting against CSK, he had a good outing. In his 4-over spell, he picked up a wicket and conceded runs at 7 RPO. Whilst his two variations googly and carrom balls served him well, the faster ones didn’t. Bowling 7 faster ones, he conceded runs at 12 RPO. To be fair, the sample size is less and we shouldn’t read too much into it.
However, CSK’s run against variations from spinners shows that Varun should bowl sliders and googlies. Their scoring rate against the mentioned variations isn’t very high.
Whilst Faf du Plessis is yet to be dismissed against the mentioned variations including leg-break. Dhoni and Rayudu have done well against carrom balls and the faster ones but not googlies and leg-break. Reading variations is quite tough and Varun would be served if he uses his variations well along with some stock leg-breaks (if he can).
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