CLT20 2011 Chennai Super Kings v Cape Cobras Preview: Battle for Supremacy

What a way to kick off the Champions League Twenty20 2011. The Cape Cobras from South Africa have caused a few rumbles already. Now they take on the two time IPL champions and the Champions League Twenty20 defending champions, the Chennai Super Kings, in a not to be missed contest for the midweek blockbuster. The Chennai Super Kings need a win but will Justin Kemp go easy on his former IPL team?

Chennai Super Kings

The Cape Cobras captain, Justin Kemp, played just one IPL season with Chennai Super Kings with limited opportunities. This could be the match where he could show the Chennai Super Kings captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, what he could have done for the team if he was preferred in the IPL 4 season. Now with a strong Cape Cobras team, Kemp is taking the challenge to another level.

The Cape Cobras began in emphatic fashion and they would like to stay strong in a group that is considered the toughest of the two in the Champions League Twenty20 2011 competition. With Herschelle Gibbs proving to be a tough customer in the first match, the Cape Cobras would like to keep that winning momentum to make sure they are the team toasting champagne success.

However, even if the Chennai Super Kings lost their first match to the Mumbai Indians in a final over thriller, they are no pushovers. Having been in this situation before pulling themselves to great position, the Chennai Super Kings are perhaps the most cohesive unit of the IPL teams and that is what makes them formidable opponents.

With team compositions likely to say pretty much the same, what it comes down is which team stays intense on the day and is able to pull out match winning performances that establish supremacy in the competition where intimidation could play a factor in the matches to come. That the Cape Cobras are under no illusion was evident when Kemp emphasized that the competition was only going to get tougher match after match. For Dhoni whose reputation as the man with the Midas touch took a beating in England, winning will become crucial.

However, pressure and competition are funny bone ticklers and Dhoni will know that his team needs to revive their winning feeling quickly if they are to continue to be reckoned as the best in the business. The Cape Cobras were fortunate to get away with a few nerves while fielding in the early part of their match against the champions of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in 2009, the New South Wales. So, there is work to be done to ensure that there are no more slip ups if the Cape Cobras are to go beyond their past limitations. First, there is the business of silencing the Chennai Super Kings. Expect nothing less than fireworks.