The Chennai Super Kings had reached the playoffs a record nine times – and won three titles – until a second-last finish in the 2020 Indian Premier League.
Chennai won a mere six matches in 14 attempts during the last IPL – and only avoided finishing at the bottom of the eight-team standings thanks to a marginally stronger net run-rate to the Rajasthan Royals.
A downward trend is evident – and some rather thrifty spending at the player auction doesn't suggest improvement in 2021. Our IPL betting tips for Chennai will tell you more.
| IPL 2021 – To Finish Bottom | |
|---|---|
| Best Bet | Chennai Super Kings to finish at bottom of the table at 5.5 with Betway |
Questionable Player Choices
While other franchises spent heavily on stars from overseas, the Super Kings only purchased England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who wasn't even a regular in the Royal Challengers Bangalore XI last season.
Chennai also bought Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who is renowned as a Test match batsman and has a professional T20 strike-rate of a relatively low 109.35.
The decisions to release spinners Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla, batsman Murali Vijay and all-rounder Kedar Jadhav are questionable. Singh and Chawla are the third- and fifth-highest wicket-takers in the history of the tournament, respectively.
They retained South African spinner Imran Tahir and New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner, whose game time was very limited in 2020.
With Indian leg-spinner Karn Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja available alongside Chennai's other international recruits, Tahir and Santner might endure more time on the bench.
IPL 2021 – Team to Finish Bottom
Betway's price of 5.5 for the Chennai Super Kings for a bottom finish is attractive. They are one of the best IPL betting sites. Consider their other short- and long-odds options in the ‘to finish bottom' market, too.
| To Finish Bottom | IPL Odds |
|---|---|
| Punjab Kings | 4.0 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 5.0 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 5.5 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 6.0 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6.0 |
| Delhi Capitals | 8.0 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 11.0 |
| Mumbai Indians | 21.0 |
Will Ngidi be Dhoni's Delight?
Batsman Suresh Raina missed Chennai's entire 2020 IPL campaign. All-rounder Dwayne Bravo was sidelined for a key part of it. Both are available for the start of this season, but fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is not.
He'll join the squad belatedly, after leaving South Africa's limited-overs series against Pakistan early. Ngidi averaged more than two wickets per match for the Super Kings in 2020.
His absence at the start of the 2021 IPL will be difficult for Chennai to manage, especially without Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. He has withdrawn from the whole tournament.
The retention of the veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni as captain has concerned critics. While other franchises invest in young captains, Chennai's choice to stick with the 39-year-old Dhoni doesn't necessarily bode well.
It will be interesting to see if his tactics again include deploying England all-rounder Sam Curran as an opening batsman.
Chepauk – a veritable fortress for the Super Kings – is one of the six venues for the 2021 IPL. However, Chennai will play at neutral venues – Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata. Their records at these four grounds are far less impressive than at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk.
Other Betting Options for IPL 2021
Our team of experts have put together other IPL betting tips, too. These predictions also include great odds from the best cricket betting sites in India.
- Bet on Bangalore for a maiden title
- Pick Punjab to make the top four
- Select Shikhar Dhawan as top batsman
- Trent Boult to be top IPL bowler
- Get value in Chris Morris' performance
We will have plenty of match predictions throughout the IPL 2021. These will be based on the form of the players, our valuable insight and more solid odds.
They will be as accurate as possible. Use all of this to make stronger decisions. We will find the most appealing value for you on the best cricket betting sites.
