Chennai Super Kings are hoping to relive their glory days in the IPL 2023

The Indian Premier League, the world’s largest T20 league, will return in less than two weeks with its 16th edition, which will begin on March 31.

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In the inaugural match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Chennai Super Kings, the league’s second-most successful team, will face the defending champions Gujarat Titans. After a forgettable season in which the MS Dhoni-led team finished second-bottom with only four wins, CSK will be hoping to put things right in the upcoming season.

During the IPL 2023 auction, the Yellow Army made headlines when they paid a whopping 16.25 crore for Ben Stokes’ services. Other notable selections include Ajinkya Rahane and Kyle Jamieson, though the latter has been ruled out due to a back injury. The four-time champions spent just Rs.18.95 crores in the auction, indicating that those in charge are pleased with the squad they assembled last season.

With CSK set to return in front of their adoring fans, there’s a buzz about them, and they’ll be hoping to equal Mumbai Indians as the league’s most decorated franchise.

A look at last season’s performance

CSK fans were shocked when Dhoni announced that he would be stepping down as captain, with Ravindra Jadeja taking over. However, the team started the season with four straight losses.

Their first win came against RCB, one of only four wins for the season. Jadeja relinquished captaincy midway through the season after suffering an injury and being ruled out for the remainder of the season. Dhoni stepped up once more, and CSK only managed 8 points from 14 matches, finishing ninth, just ahead of arch-rivals MI who had a better net run rate.

Many factors influenced the Yellow Army; Jadeja appeared to be burdened by captaincy, Ruturaj Gaikwad struggled to score runs consistently, and an injury to Deepak Chahar limited Dhoni’s pace options.

There were some encouraging signs as well, with Devon Conway scoring consistently and Mukesh Choudhary stepping up in Chahar’s absence. CSK will look to build on that this season.

New additions ahead of the IPL 2023 season

CSK did not make many purchases in the IPL 2023 auction, instead focusing on Stokes, who was one of the most expensive picks in the auction. They brought in seven players, including the England Test captain, Rahane, and Jamieson.

While the franchise has yet to name a replacement for Jamieson, they have also secured the services of all-rounder Ajay Jadav Mandal, as well as Nishant Sindhu, another well-known all-rounder. Bhagath Verma was signed for his base salary, and top order batter Shaik Rasheed was also signed for his base salary.

Overall, only a few changes were made from last season’s squad, though there have been reports that Stokes may miss the final stages of the season to prepare for the Ashes, which could be a concern for the Yellow Army.

Predicted Starting XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary.

Strengths

CSK’s greatest strength is its management; it’s a tight-knit squad where everyone knows their role and what is expected of them. Skipper Dhoni will be the team’s key figure once again, and based on the videos and photos shared by CSK thus far, the 41-year-old appears bulked up and ready to smash some big sixes.

Jadeja has been unplayable since his return to international cricket, and Yellow Army fans will rejoice that the all-rounder is peaking at the right time.

Stokes’ addition not only adds leadership, but also relieves Jadeja’s burden as the two all-rounders look to work in tandem. Chahar’s return would be extremely beneficial to the franchise because he will lead the pace attack and is capable of smashing some big hits down the order.

Weaknesses

The biggest unknown for CSK heading into the upcoming season is Dhoni’s future. After a failed experiment with Jadeja last year, the question of who will lead the franchise after ‘Thala’ remains unanswered. Only time will tell whether it will be Stokes or someone like Ruturaj.

Furthermore, without Dwayne Bravo, Chahar will be expected to lead the pace attack, but with Jamieson injured and no replacement announced so far, the Yellow Army lacks experience in the fast bowling department, which plagued them last year as well.

Aside from that, the franchise has always relied on experienced players, and they chose not to invest heavily in the squad during the IPL 2023 auction. While the starting XI appears to be set, if any of the star names suffer an injury during the season, their squad depth could be exposed, as the names on the bench are on a completely different level.

Season Prediction

With Dhoni looking fitter than ever, Jadeja firing on all cylinders, and Stokes’ all-round ability, Chennai Super Kings have a very good chance of making the playoffs this season.

With a few hiccups here and there, the Yellow Army should be able to move on from their woes from last season and compete for the IPL title this season.

Also Read: Who is the Godfather or Baap of IPL And Why? (sportsdigest.in)