No team in the seven year history of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), can come near to the consistency shown by the Chennai Super Kings, who begin their IPL8 campaign on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai against the Delhi Daredevils.
The Super Kings have won the title twice, matches only by the Kolkata Knight Riders, and have reached the final on three other occasions.
During the other two seasons of action, they have been losing semi-finalists. Such a wonderful record will fill their supporters with expectations once more in 2015, and they would expect to begin the season with a thumping victory against the Daredevils.
Delhi by contrast to Thursday’s opponents, are the only one of the original seven franchises who will be contesting this season’s tournament (Sunrisers Hyderabad are in only their third season), that has never appeared in the Grand Final. Two semi-finals. the last in 2012 is the best they have to show.
As if Chennai weren’t strong enough, MS Dhoni who will once more lead the yellow juggernaut, now has the out and out speed of Kiwi Matt Henry to call on, as well as the South African Kyle Abbott.
On their home wickets which usually produce plenty of runs, the crowd will be looking for Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum to bring some of the same World Cup hitting form with him to the IPL, in which case, the crowd and the statisticians had better look out.
For Delhi, much will depend on the South African pair Quinton de Kock and skipper JP Duminy, to make the runs that the bowling attack, which appears much the stronger department, can defend.
At least they go into the season in a more stable position than last, when they had a brand new squad assembled entirely through the player auction. This term at least, they have retained 11 players from 2014, despite finishing in last position on the regular season table.