Devon Conway : The most awaited opener for CSK and the best after Faf du Plessis

Chennai Super Kings, considered one of the most successful franchises in the tournament, are languishing at the eighth spot in the points table due to their poor performance this season. However, in the previous match against SRH, we witnessed vintage CSK as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 13 runs. Batting first, CSK recorded a mammoth total of 202 runs in 20 overs with the help of openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway. While Ruturaj was the showstopper missing his century just by one run, Conway's contribution of unbeaten 85 runs cannot be neglected. This was his second inning in the tournament, and the batter was lacking opportunities in the earlier matches as he played just two games out of 9.

One of the big reasons, perhaps the biggest, for CSK's triumph last year was their prolific opening pair. It was no coincidence that Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis finished as the top two run-getters in IPL 2021. While Gaikwad hammered 635 runs in 16 matches, Du Plessis scored only two runs fewer. Further, the South African veteran was also the top scorer in the final against KKR, smashing 86 off just 59 balls. Chennai did not retain Du Plessis ahead of the mega auction and did not repurchase him either. The veteran cricketer has since moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and is also their captain. In du Plesis' absence, CSK struggled with an unsettled opening combination. They opened with Devon Conway and Gaikwad in the first match but dropped the former after just one failure. The team had constantly been failing to find an opener who could play the role of an attacking opener, which Faf played earlier. Uthappa has performed brilliantly in some games. 

Aakash Chopra said, "I was slightly surprised and disappointed. Honestly speaking, I will put my hand up; Chennai doesn't do like this. You let Faf go and bought Conway, when you have picked him, play him at least, you left him out after playing one match, why?"

However, his inconsistency has been a significant drawback for CSK. The former has scored a brisk fifty, but, as a pair, they have failed so far, with Gaikwad registering scores of 0, one and one in the three games. It was difficult for CSK to retain Du Plessis, considering the number of options in the camp. Consequently, CSK lost Faf in the mega auction, and the decision turned out to be costly.

Devon Conway: a perfect replacement for Faf du Plessis?

While the opening pair has catastrophically failed this season, CSK was in desperate need of someone who could be as consistent and brilliant as du Plessis. Devon Conway, the kiwi batter which CSK bought for in the mega auction, has raised everyone's hopes for a great opener with his performance in the last match. Conway has a great experience in international cricket, and his consistency for the national side is unmatchable. Although he failed to score in his debut match in the league, he proved his potential in the second match against SRH. Conway scored an unbeaten score of 85 off 55 deliveries with four sixes and eight fours, which was a delight for the fans and Ruturaj's performance. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway stitched a 182-run opening stand, breaking Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson's record from 2020. The South Africa star, now leading Royal Challengers Bangalore, had stitched 181 along with Watson for CSK against Punjab Kings in an IPL 2020 match. Ruturaj and Conway began slowly on what the opener said was a tacky pitch at the MCA Stadium in Pune, managing just 40 runs in the first six overs. Conway carried on after the 182-run opening stand and remained unbeaten 85 from 55 deliveries as CSK posted a match-winning total of 202.

Aakash Chopra remarked on Conway's performance against SRH and said, "Ruturaj and Conway's pairing will go a long way. Here he (Conway) kept his ego aside, kept on taking singles and bringing Ruturaj on strike. Rutu was batting well and he (Conway) was happy to be in his (Ruturaj's) shadow. And then, he also batted aggressively and took the team beyond 200."

With Conway's astonishing performance in the previous match, the team management must be hoping for him to carry the form in the other games. If Conway maintains the same flow throughout the remaining tournament, we can see him moulding into a great IPL batter in the future.