Chennai Super Kings training session garners support of 12000 fans at Chepauk

Three-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, proved critics and doubters wrong last season as they made their way to the final where they outplayed Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede in comfortable fashion. They will look to replicate the same performance this season as well as they enter the final stages of their preparation for the 12th edition of the IPL which is scheduled to start on March 23.

On Sunday, the CSK players were engaged in an intra-squad one-innings practice match at Chepauk which was attended by a total of 12,000 fans who occupied the C, D and E stands to watch their heroes in action. The year before, a similar number had turned out at Chepauk for a practice match prior to the season as CSK made their return to the domestic competition following a two-year ban.

As far as Sunday’s warm-up game was concerned, barring England's Sam Billings, none of the foreign players have joined up with the squad yet. While leader and club captain MS Dhoni was not part of the game, the likes of Suresh Raina, M Vijay and Ambati Rayudu got some much needed time with the bat in the middle. Veteran India all-rounder Raina (56 from 30 balls) was in fine form as he hit some of his trademark strokes against the spinners. Former Mumbai Indians leg spinner, Karn Sharma, suffered the wrath of Raina’s skill as he was hit for three sixes in the same over. Rayudu (40) and Vijay (32) led with the bat at the top of the order before Dhruv Shorey came in towards the end and hit a quick-fire cameo of 43 in 24 balls.

Amongst the pacers in the CSK attack, Deepak Chahar was the pick of the lot. Chahar, who enjoyed a breakthrough IPL season last year, was extremely effective in getting the new ball to swing and taking early wickets. Mumbai-born youngster Shardul Thakur was at the receiving end of nasty blows while former KXIP spinner, Harbhajan Singh, ended his first session with the team with figures 1 for 23 after four overs.

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