CSK's IPL 2025 Squad Analysis: What Are The Odds Of 6th Title Win?

CSK Squad In IPL 2024 [Source: iplt20.com]

Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL. Retaining core players, tactical genius and exemplifying leadership have been behind the legacy that the franchise has built over the years. 

In this article, we have done a comprehensive data-driven analysis to find the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of CSK for IPL 2025.

Before entering the detailed analysis, here is a look at the CSK squad for IPL 2025 -

CSK IPL 2025 Full Squad

Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Shaikh Rasheed, 
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rachin Ravindra, Anshul Kamboj, Sam Curran, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti , Mukes Choudhary
Bowlers: Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal

CSK Phase-Wise Performance Radar Chart [Source: OneCricket]

CSK IPL 2025 Squad Analysis: Definition of Metrics Used

Batting Impact Index (BII): A composite metric measuring batting effectiveness by combining strike rate (40%), average (35%), balls per boundary (15%), and strike rotation (10%), normalized to a 0-100 scale.

Bowling Effectiveness Index (BEI): A comprehensive bowling metric that weights economy rate (40%), balls per wicket (35%), balls per boundary (15%), and dot ball percentage (10%), normalized to a 0-100 scale.

Player Value Index (PVI): An overall player rating that combines BII and BEI according to a player's batting and bowling contributions, weighted by the proportion of balls faced versus balls bowled.

To keep the data relevancy we have considered datas from IPL 2023 and 2024.

Strengths Of CSK For IPL 2025

1. Strong Opening Partnership

Inference: Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad played a crucial role in CSK's title winning run in IPL 2023. They show a very high batting value in our analysis and also have shown consistency and impact in the powerplay. This opening pair would be the biggest strength of CSK in IPL 2025.

2. Effective And Impactful Death Over Bowling

Inference: The death over bowling looks well sorted for CSK and we might see something unusual from them in this tournament. Noor Ahmad did a brilliant job in the death overs in IPL 2023 and that makes him an usable option in the phase. With Pathirana and Ahmad's numbers being very good, one of CSK's strength would be their death bowling.

3. Powerful Middle Order

Inference: The middle-over batting looks strong for CSK. The batters who have substantial numbers and will most probably bat in the middle-overs and death-overs for CSK in IPL 2025 add to the strength of the team.

MS Dhoni in IPL 2024 [Source: iplt20.com]

Weaknesses Of CSK For IPL 2025

1. Middle Overs Bowling Vulnerability

Inference: A look at the squad gives us the idea about the bowlers who will be active for CSK in the middle phase. This shows that they have more defensive bowlers in the phase. This is something the other teams can target and put CSK on the back foot.

CSK Performance Gap Across Phases [Source: OneCricket]

2. Specialised Overseas Players

Inference: From the squad we can determine that these four players will be the most probable overseas options for the team in the playing XI. So, it looks like two of their overseas options will be used in the bowling department. The replaceability of these two players is also low and hence the use of overseas resources could be something that troubles them during the tournament.

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Opportunities And Threats For CSK In IPL 2025

1. Balanced Team Composition

Inference: The team composition of the Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2025 shows that they have very balanced composition. They will have the opportunity of using their players as horses for courses and trying combinations as per the conditions and situations of the match.

2. Phase-Wise Vulnerability Assessment

Inference: This shows the prime threats of CSK for IPL 2025. While their string death-bowling and powerplay batting could win them games, the opposition can take advantage of the vulnerabilities exposed in the team and take the upper-hand in games. 

Noor Ahmad in IPL 2024 [Source: @asdevender_bbc/x.com]

X-Factor Player: Noor Ahmad

• Death Over Potential: Though not used much in the death overs in IPL 2024, Noor Ahmad showed great potential in the phase during IPL 2023. He could add extra depth and flexibility to the team's bowling attack.
• Match Winning Ability: Noor Ahmad could be particularly beneficial for CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. His ability to extract turn from tracks and be accurate while picking up wickets makes him a very important player for the team. 
• Evolution Beyond Specialist Role: Noor Ahmad's ability to be effective in multiple phases of a game makes him a very important player in the CSK mechanism.

CSK Player Role Distribution Chart [Source: OneCricket]

Why Rachin Ravindra And Nathan Ellis Will Not Be A Part Of Strongest Playing XI At First?

The four preferred overseas options for CSK at the beginning would be - 

• Devon Conway - Established opening partnership with captain Gaikwad
• Noor Ahmad - Cross phase bowling excellence
• Matheesha Pathirana - Elite 92.54 death bowling rating
• Sam Curran - Multi-phase bowling flexibility with death overs expertise

This combination maximises death bowling excellence while maintaining batting stability at the top. 

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Situation-Specific Strongest Playing XIs

When Batting First

Starting XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad - Opener, Captain
Devon Conway ✈️ - Opener
Rahul Tripathi - Strong middle order batter
Vijay Shankar - Top batting index
Shivam Dube - Middle order power-hitter
MS Dhoni  - Wicketkeeper, finisher
Ravindra Jadeja  - All-rounder
Sam Curran ✈️  - All-rounder
Ravichandran Ashwin  - Spin all-rounder
Noor Ahmad ✈️  - Elite death bowler
Matheesha Pathirana ✈️  - Specialist death bowler

Impact Player Substitution (2nd Innings)

REMOVE: Rahul Tripathi (specialist batter)
ADD: Khaleel Ahmed (specialist bowler)

Logic: Maximise batting strength to post competitive totals with additional batting specialist Tripathi. For defence, substitute with Khaleel Ahmed to add powerplay bowling strength while maintaining death bowling excellence.

When Bowling First

Starting XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad - Opener, Captain
Devon Conway ✈️ - Opener
Deepak Hooda - Batting all-rounder
Vijay Shankar - Top batting index
Ravindra Jadeja - All-rounder
Sam Curran ✈️ - All-rounder
MS Dhoni - Wicketkeeper
Ravichandran Ashwin - Spin all-rounder
Noor Ahmad ✈️ - Elite death bowler
Matheesha Pathirana ✈️ - Specialist death bowler
Khaleel Ahmed - Strong powerplay bowler

Impact Player Substitution (2nd Innings)

REMOVE: Khaleel Ahmed (specialist bowler)
ADD: Shivam Dube (power-hitting specialist)

Logic: Begin with bowling strength to restrict targets, then substitute Khaleel with Dube's power-hitting for the chase, maximising resources for each phase of the game.

Predictions For CSK In IPL 2025

Title Contenders: CSK enters IPL 2025 with legitimate championship credentials, built on elite death bowling and tactical flexibility.

Playoff Projection: 8-9 wins, top-three finish in league stage.

X-Factor: The Noor-Pathirana bowling partnership could be the tournament's most decisive weapon, potentially turning 4-5 close matches in CSK's favour.

Vulnerability: Middle overs bowling remains their Achilles' heel – expect opponents to target this phase aggressively.

Final Verdict: Likely finalists with championship potential if Captain Gaikwad can successfully navigate their overseas player balance while masking their middle-over vulnerabilities.

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