Chennai Super Kings will be keen to advance in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. After a disappointing IPL 2022 season, IPL 2021 winners CSK will look for good fortunes under the veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His wisdom and leadership brilliance will be key factors. CSK can make Chennai a fortress and take things from there.
In the IPL 2023 mini-auction, CSK made a headline purchase of England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a whopping 16.25 crore. His all-round attributes will help the MS Dhoni-led side. New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson was recently ruled out of IPL 2023, and CSK replaced the Kiwi star with Proteas pacer Sisanda Magala. CSK have the desired experience in batting, with quality names in the list. Also, their spin-bowling options look settled as ever. The presence of all-rounders hands them good balance.
Players like Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad hold the cards in batting. Ravindra Jadeja needs a defining season after a poor campaign in 2022. One major positive news is the availability of Deepak Chahar. CSK bat deep, and the bench looks strong with quality options.
Here we decode the probable XI of the four-time IPL winners ahead of a crunch 2023 season.
Full squad of CSK
MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma
Probable CSK XI
Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Chowdhury
Breaking down Super Kings’ probable XI
Devon Conway: The New Zealand star will lead the line for CSK upfront. Conway was a cracking player across formats and impressed in his debut season for CSK. In seven games last season, he returned with 252 runs. Conway will be aiming to hand his side quality starts. Conway is a distinguished batter with 4649 runs in the 20-over format at over 40.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: The Indian batter has what it takes to elevate his game to a new level. A quality performer, who had a dream IPL 2021, managed 368 runs last season. He has a distinct average to boast about and can set the base. Gaikwad is a perfect time of the ball, and his consistency is laudable.
Ben Stokes: England hero Ben Stokes will be seen batting at the top order. He can be dangerous on any given day. Stokes must manage his knee issues and ensure he remains fit. He has over 900 IPL runs and 28 wickets as well. Stokes brings a winning mentality, and CSK will want to use him well.
Moeen Ali: A versatile batter, Moeen Ali brings several facets to the game. He can play the big shots and is a busy player. He had decent runs in the last two seasons with his powerful cameos. With the ball, his spin show can help a solid CSK. He took 8 wickets in IPL 2022 at 19.75.
Ambati Rayudu: The veteran star could be playing his final IPL season. Rayudu has been a consistent force for CSK, and it remains to be seen how he fits in. He scored 274 runs last season, and CSK will need more from the right-handed batter, who has plenty of quality shot-making up his sleeves.
MS Dhoni: MS Dhoni has bulked up and is practising well ahead of IPL 2023. Dhoni may not be as solid with the bat as yesteryear, but even at his age, he brings leadership qualities which is a must. He has scored 200, 114, and 232 runs across the last three seasons. Dhoni will hope he can chip in at the death and play some useful knocks for his side.
Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja will be keen to bounce back after a poor IPL 2022 campaign. He scored 116 runs and managed just five wickets from 10 games last season. Jadeja has been in good form since his return from injury. Jadeja has been a consistent performer since the advent of IPL, holding the cards for CSK with his three-dimensional attributes.
Shivam Dube: The Indian all-rounder joined the party last season, smashing terrific numbers with the bat for CSK. In 11 matches, he scored 289 runs at 28.90. Notably, he struck over 150 to highlight his big hitting. Dube can also bowl when required with his gentle pace.
Dwaine Pretorius: The Proteas’ all-round star will be a star presence in CSK’s pace-bowling unit. A celebrated figure in the shortest format, Pretorius has claimed 152 wickets in 196 matches at 26.84. He has also scored 2414 runs with the bat, slamming five fifties. In IPL 2022, he managed six wickets from six matches.
Deepak Chahar: CSK will be relieved to have Deepak Chahar back in the mix this season. Chahar had missed the IPL 2022 season with an injury. An excellent new-ball bowler, Chahar, with his swing and accuracy, can gain a lot of purchase. In 63 matches, Chahar has managed 59 IPL scalps at 29.19.
Mukesh Chowdhury: Uncapped Indian quick Mukesh Chowdhury was one of the finds in IPL 2022. Getting a chance with Chahar missing action, the left-arm pacer finished with 16 scalps from 13 games at an impressive 26.50. He bolsters the CSK pace unit with his offerings. In 27 matches in the shortest format, Mukesh has claimed 32 scalps.