Chennai Super Kingsthe second most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League. The last season was an eye-opener for them as the franchise finished 9th in the league of 10 teams. However, this season, the team has made its most expensive purchase ever, adding the services of England’s test captain Ben Stokes. With Deepak Chahar Also returning in action, could Chennai rectify the errors of last season?
Chennai Super Kings Squad for IPL 2023:
| player | role |
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni | Wicketkeeper (Captain) |
| Moeen Ali | Batter/Off Spin (F) |
| Bhagath Varma | Off Spin/Batter |
| Deepak Chahar | Fast Bowler |
| Devon Conway | Batter (F) |
| Tushar Deshpande | Fast Bowler |
| Shivam Dube | Batter/Fast Bowler |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batter |
| Rajvardhan Hangargekar | Fast Bowler/Batter |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Batter/Slow Left Arm |
| Sisanda Magala | Fast Bowler (F) |
| Ajay Mandal | Slow Left Arm/Batter |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Fast Bowler (F) |
| Dwaine Pretorius | Batter/Fast Bowler (F) |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter |
| Shaik Rasheed | Batter |
| Ambati Rayudu | Batter |
| Mitchell Santner | Slow Left Arm/Batter (F) |
| Subhranshu Senapati | Batter |
| Simarjeet Singh | Fast Bowler |
| Nishant Sindhu | Batter/Slow Left Arm |
| Prashant Solanki | Leg Spin |
| Ben Stokes | Batter/Fast Bowler (F) |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Off Spin (F) |
| Kyle Jamieson | Fast Bowler/Batter (F) (Withdrawn) |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Fast Bowler (Withdrawn) |
*F = Foreign Player
Strengths of Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2023:
CSK’s strength this year lies in their quality batting line-up. Ruturaj Gayakwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, and others provide a perfect blend of aggression and anchor. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back as the franchise’s full-time captain, which ensures stability in leadership. The franchise has worked on the holes that were left open in the last season.
With Deepak Chahar’s return, the team’s bowling has strengthened. As the Chepauk pitch is expected to turn, CSK have an abundance of quality spinners in the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, and Moeen Ali. MS Dhoni is known to be a spin-oriented captain and he can get the best out of these bowlers. Furthermore, in Ben Stokes, Dwayne Pretorious, and Shivam Dube, the team has 3 quality all-rounders who happen to be big hitters and decent bowlers as well.
Weaknesses of Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2023:
Before the tournament has even begun, CSK have suffered the loss of two quality fast bowlers, Kyle Jamieson and Mukesh Choudhary, both of whom have been ruled out of the entire season due to injury. This has made the pace department to be relatively weaker as compared to the other teams in the IPL. Even though this may not be a problem for CSK at home games, it can cause a headache during away matches.
The team has only two wicketkeeping options, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Devon Conway. Dhoni is retired from international matches whereas Conway is more of a batter than a keeper. In a two-month season, the heat is bound to cause fatigue, and maybe even injury. CSK could have invested in one or two more wicketkeeping options for such a long season.
Opportunities for Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2023:
CSK finished the 2022 season in the 9th spot in the points table. The four-time winner had never performed this poorly before. This season provides an opportunity for CSK to build upwards from rock bottom. Players like Shivam Dube and Deepak Chahar have been away from the international scene for a while and can use the IPL as an opportunity for their redemption.
This could very well be Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s last season at the IPL. The team would want to see off their captain with a trophy on the cards as a symbol of the legacy that he would be leaving behind.
Threats for Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2023:
Most of CSK’s core players have had an injury-prone history. CSK run a threat of accumulating more injuries as the tournament progresses. Furthermore, the bench strength of the team has not been tested under pressure, and there’s a huge chance they could falter.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram
