India, April 12 -- Only twice in their six matches this IPL season have Chennai Super Kings scored 10 runs per over after the first batting Powerplay. CSK were chasing in all five matches before Friday night's loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, so even those two occasions could be put down to run rate pressure. Defending totals at home though was where they used to excel. But not anymore. In a season where the average Powerplay score has been 57, CSK average 45, plummeting to a new low of 31/2 against KKR.

CSK are not scoring enough. With skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out for the rest of the season, the problem goes beyond the two Kiwi batters, Devon Conway and the promising Rachin Ravindra. Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar are good strikers...