Chennai, March 17: Chennai Super Kings have begun their preparations for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The senior players in the team like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu with other domestic players are sweating it out to get in the grooves.
CSK's senior batsman Ambati Rayudu will have to play a huge role in the tournament in the franchise's success after the horror show in IPL 2020. The Men In Yellow finished at the bottom half of the points table for the first time in IPL history and failed to make it to the play-offs. The MS Dhoni-led side would be eager to get to make a positive comeback in the upcoming edition.
Rayudu - the right-handed top-order batsman - believes it is hard to make a stat after a break and he needs at least six to seven sessions to get his rhythm back. The senior cricketer last featured in a game in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy where he played for Andhra Pradesh.
"It's always hard to start after a break because, after Mushtaq Ali, I've not played much cricket. It's been about a month and a half (without cricket), so it takes about 6-7 sessions to get back into that rhythm.
"Also, to understand where I need to be. We all understand where we need to be, but where we are right now is the most important realisation. It is about knowing where my game is at the moment," Rayudu said in Episode 1 of AnbuDen Diaries (CSK's video series on social media).
All the #PrideOf2021’s grind in 📹!
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 15, 2021
EP 1️⃣ - Anbuden Diaries brings the first week’s round up from the Super Camp that is underway! #WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛🦁 @RayuduAmbati pic.twitter.com/9GOihmR5fh
CSK will face Delhi Capitals - who were the runner-ups of the previous edition - on April 10 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The economic slowdown following the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the brand IPL a bit adversely. As per a Duff & Phelps report, the brand value of IPL has been reduced by 3.6 per cent in 2020 and has now touched Rs 45,800 crore as against 2019. The IPL brand value in 2019 was Rs 47,500 crore.