Chennai Super Kings' Comeback Is Going To Be Hard, Says Muttiah Muralitharan

Former Sri Lanka spin spearhead Muttiah Muralitharan has predicted a tough comeback for Chennai Super Kings.

The two-time Indian Premier League champions along with inaugural winners Rajasthan Royals will return to the league next season after their two-year suspension came to an end earlier this week.  Both the franchises could not play the last two seasons after Supreme Court imposed a two-year ban on them following the involvement of some of their owners in fixing scandal.

Next Summer, we will be there! #ManyHappyReturnsOfCSK pic.twitter.com/zkbgzUzchV

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 21, 2017

The Chennai-based outfit is one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. The only team which has defended its IPL title so far, Chennai Super Kings have won the league twice-2010 and 2011 in addition to making it to the summit clash on four different occasions including the inaugural season. They have also won the now-scrapped Champions League T20 twice and while many are expecting them to hit the ground running from the next season, Muralitharan believes the two-time champions would endure a tough time in their comeback season.

The spin legend, who plied his trade for the franchise for the first three seasons, said that the team will find it tough to make a strong comeback since the core of the team is not intact which was a big reason behind their strong performances in the first 8 seasons.

“CSK’s comeback is going to be hard. It’s not going to be the same as what you think. First time around, they had built a team from scratch and made sure that all their top players were retained year after year. Now, all the players are scattered and no one knows what the rules are going to be as far as player retention is concerned. They might not have the same dominance but they will still be close to the top,” Muralitharan said.