Bowling plan revealed

Khaleel Ahmed said Chennai Super Kings had a specific plan for Sunil Narine, and that he used an around-the-wicket angle to “put doubt” in the opener’s mind before dismissing him. (thehansindia.com) The wicket came in Chennai Super Kings’ 32-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders on April 14 at Chennai, where Kolkata Knight Riders chased 193 and finished on 160 for 7. Sunil Narine made 24 before Khaleel removed him inside the power play. (espncricinfo.com) Bowling around the wicket means the bowler changes the line of approach at the crease, creating a different angle into or across the batter. Khaleel said Chennai Super Kings discussed “what angles we can use” and how to use the longer sides of the ground before the match. (thehansindia.com) Khaleel said the idea was not to guess one magic ball, but to narrow Narine’s options with pace, angle and field placement. He said Chennai Super Kings had “exactly fielding plans” and wanted to avoid giving Narine “much elevation,” a way of stopping the lofted hits that can clear the infield. (thehansindia.com) That public explanation offered a rare look at how Indian Premier League teams build batter-by-batter matchups. Khaleel said his read on Narine came from bowling to him “year by year,” while teammate Anshul Kamboj said bowlers watch video before matches and make plans for specific batters. (thehansindia.com) The matchup mattered because Narine is not a lower-order hitter being thrown in for one over. Kolkata Knight Riders’ official Indian Premier League profile credits him with 193 league matches, two Most Valuable Player-level seasons, and a central role in the franchise’s 2024 title run, when he scored 488 runs and took 17 wickets. (iplt20.com) Chennai Super Kings’ new-ball work shaped the match before the spinners took over. ESPNcricinfo’s report said Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed removed Finn Allen and Sunil Narine in the power play, then Noor Ahmad returned 3 for 21 as Chennai Super Kings won back-to-back matches for the first time since April 2024. (espncricinfo.com) Khaleel put it simply after the game: the bowling unit’s “mind and plan was very clear,” and the execution followed. Against a hitter like Narine, Chennai Super Kings were trying to make the batter think first and swing second. (thehansindia.com)