CSK are probably the best side in IPL history, as the stats claim they are the most successful team with the highest win percentage. The Men in yellow have played over 9 finals out of their 15 IPL appearances having won 4 and after their last year’s disappointment, they would be looking to make a comeback in this edition of the IPL.
Strengths
The Super Kings have a very strong opening pair with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who showed terrific form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Kiwi opener Devon Conway, who has had a recent bad patch but can revive his form any day.
The CSK squad’s most valuable asset is the heavily invested Ben Stokes, who was brought in for a whopping 16.5 crores.
The all-rounder is CSK’s best buy as he can prove to be the anchor of Chennai’s batting innings and can also bowl quality fours at any stage of the game, from the power play to the death overs. Stokes’ flexibility is what makes him the most versatile cricketer in today’s modern-day game.
Weaknesses
The CSK side does not have too much formidability, especially in the Pace deck, which consists of none but Deepak Chahar. Chahar is the only paceman with international experience on the side; however, other bowlers like Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet, Mukesh Chowdhury, and Kyle Jamieson are either inexperienced or injured.
Moeen Ali and Shivam Dube have been out of form since the IPL last year. These two have led the super king’s middle order at some point or another, therefore their low form is a concern for the CSK side.
Opportunities
This is probably the last time we will be watching Dhoni play in yellow, and therefore, it would be his last opportunity to lead his long-led side to an IPL win for the fifth time, tying MI’s five titles under Rohit Sharma. This time, Dhoni would give his best to conquer the IPL title.
This IPL performance will determine many players’ selection to the national team; players like Chahar and Gaikwad will look to make a comeback to the Indian side for all pre-World Cup T20I matches.
Threats
The biggest threat to CSK this year would be Jadeja’s injury, which adds a question mark to his availability in the upcoming IPL. Jadeja is the most promising all-rounder in world cricket across all formats, and his absence would have adverse effects on the team.
Jadeja is an eminent member of the CSK side, with huge contributions both with the bat and the bowl, and sometimes even on the field. The match winners’ absence might be a huge concern for the Super Kings.
As they say, “Too many cooks spoil the food.” The same is true for some players of CSK, like Mitchell Santner and Kyle Jamieson, who are genuine Kiwi players but find it tough for them to feature in the starting 11 due to their overseas status.
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