The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a highly competitive tournament. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are two of the most popular teams in the competition. The southern derby attracts a lot of viewership. There has been a silent battle brewing between these two franchises over the years. CSK has held an edge over RCB and this hasn’t gone down well with RCB fans. The fact that few CSK players have excelled for the men in yellow but failed to deliver for RCB has hurt the fans.
StumpsandBails looks at 5 Players Who Did Well At CSK But Failed At RCB:
#5 Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum was an IPL trailblazer. His 158* in the first-ever IPL game laid a humungous platform for the tournament. His initial years were spent with KKR. McCullum later represented Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In 2014, CSK acquired him in the mega auctions. He was highly successful at CSK. McCullum scored 841 runs in 28 matches, including one century and five fifties for CSK. In 2018, RCB acquired him. But he failed to deliver for them. He could manage just 127 runs in six games at a dismal average of 21.17.
#4 Shadab Jakati
CSK has had a rich legacy of slow left-arm spinners. A less unknown uncapped player, Shadab Jakati made a huge impression playing for CSK. He played a crucial part in stifling oppositions at the Chepauk. Jakati often pronged a part of CSK’s 3 prone spin attack. He played 50 games for CSK picking 46 wickets with a couple of 4-wicket hauls. He later represented RCB. But Jakati was relegated to play just a single game. He conceded 41 runs in 3.4 overs and remained wicketless.
#3 Albie Morkel
Albie Morkel was synonymous with CSK. He played a major role in CSK’s stellar run in the league from 2008-13. Morkel was part of two title-winning IPL campaigns. He scored 827 runs and picked up 76 wickets in 78 games for Chennai. Morkel later played for RCB but played just seven games for them. He could score a mere 45 runs with a strike rate of 109.76. Morkel wasn’t great with the ball either. He picked up just four wickets in 7 games.
#2 Pawan Negi
Pawan Negi made a brief appearance in Indian colours thanks to his exploits with CSK. He was their designated Indian finisher. Negi’s 5-wicket haul in the Champions League final in 2014 helped CSK win their 2nd title. He was a crucial part of CSK’s plans up until 2015. Negi then shifted base to RCB where he flattered to deceive more often than not. Negi scored just 156 runs in 21 matches playing for RCB.
#1 Shane Watson
RCB invested heavily in Watson when they picked him in the 2016 IPL Auctions. Watson had a fairly decent season for RCB until the finals. Ben Cutting playing for SRH took apart Watson completely in the finals. Watson who has RCB’s leading wicket-taker (20 wickets) in the season looked completely clueless on the night of the finals. He had an even more forgettable season in 2017. RCB dropped Watson ahead of 2018.
CSK played Watson as an opener in 2018. He repaid their faith in the most stunning fashion. Watson smashed 555 runs in 2018 at a strike rate of almost 150. He scored a breathtaking 117* (57 balls) in the finals against SRH to help CSK win their 3rd title.
Also read: 5 Players Who Could Be Surprising Additions To India’s World T20 Squad
