Chennai Super Kings - IPL 2023 Squad Analysis

image-lfup8fexChennai Super Kings with the IPL 2021 Trophy (Source: iplt20.com)

The Indian Premier League (IPL 16) is knocking at the doors. Whenever we talk of the grandest league one team never misses to be in the discussion. Consistency, controversies or just the names in the team, whatever might be the reason, you cannot ignore CSK.

Come the 16th season of the tournament (IPL) we take a look at the team compositions, their chances and best probable XIs of the teams. In this article we will take a deep analytical dive into the most consistent team in the history of the tournament, the Chennai Super Kings. 

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Nine finals in 13 seasons, CSK under the leadership of 'Captain Cool', MS Dhoni has been a force to reckon with from the inception of the tournament. Ahead of this season, they slotted in some big names and some utility players to fill the gaps that were evident in their campaign last year. 



Before we move into further analysis let us have a look at the CSK squad in depth. 

Now if we take a deep dive into the team and analyse it, here is what we get. 

Batters: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhransu Senapati, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaikh Rasheed.


All-rounders: Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, Nishant Sandhu, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Verma.


Bowlers: Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesa Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Mahhesh Theekshana.

Strengths of CSK for IPL 2023

  • MS Dhoni, the captain: Yes he is 41-years-old, yes he is just a shadow of his former self as a batter. But the experience the man has, his game reading capability and the strategic acumen that he possesses makes MSD the biggest strength of the team. There are some new members who will be new to the dressing room culture and there is no better leader to make them feel at home. 
  • Strong Indian core: The presence of MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, and Shivam Dube gives a strong outlook to the Indian core of the team. The fact that most of these players have been a part of the squad for more than two or three seasons makes things easier for the team management. The players know their role and what is expected from them and that will boost the team strategically. 
  • Plethora of utility players: The squad boasts of the presence of players like Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner, and Dwaine Pretorius. All these players can be match winners on their days in more that one trade. This allows the team a great dynamism and flexibility. 



Weakness of CSK for IPL 2023

  • Lacking experience in pace department: The most experienced pacer in the CSK team is Deepak Chahar. Barring him they lack experience in the department and there is also the absence of bowlers who can do the job for them in the death overs. This will be an issue for the team during the course of the tournament. 
  • Lack of consistent big hitters in the middle-order: The inclusion of Ben Stokes in the CSK squad has added a bit of power in the middle-order. But most of the batters like Ambati Rayudu, and MS Dhoni are more grafters than power hitters. There is a lack of players who can take the attack onto the opposition from ball one. Though Shivam Dube is there, his inconsistency is a big concern. 

Opportunities for CSK in IPL 2023

  • Ben Stokes: The biggest opportunity for CSK will be to integrate Ben Stokes into the team as an inherent part. Being a three dimensional players, Stokes could turn out to be a long-term investment for the team. Considering this being the last season for MS Dhoni, Ben Stokes might take up the reins going ahead for the next three to five seasons. 
  • Accumulation of talented youngsters: This edition of the tournament will be a big opportunity for players like Shaik Rasheed, Subhransu Senapati, Nishant Sandhu, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh to establish themselves as an integrat part of the team. 

Threats for CSK in IPL 2023

  • MS Dhoni, the batter: No matter how big a MS Dhoni fan you are, you have got to agree on the fact that the man as a batter is just a shadow of his former self. It will be a bit too harsh to expect the same kind of consistency and flambuoyance from the man that he once used to represent. He will take time to get going and that might sometimes slow down the progress of the team. But MS Dhoni being MS Dhoni will surely find out a way around it, else the slow nature of his batting might cost the team a few matches. 
  • An injury prone Deepak Chahar: A lot of CSK's bowling efforts will depend on Deepak Chahar. But in the last one year or so, Chahar's career has been plagued with injuries. His absence might turn out to be really costly for CSK, just like it did in the last season. So, it will be very important to the team's cause that Chahar stays fit throughout the duration of the tournament. 

image-lfb4zlac(Source: OneCricket)


CSK Team Rating Card

Top-order: 8/10
Middle-Order: 7.5/10
Finishers: 7/10
Pace-bowling: 6/10
Spin-bowling: 7/10

Overall Rating: 7/10


Prediction: The overall team composition looks balanced on paper. Dhoni's leadership will play a big role in how far the team goes in the tournament. The on-paper squad of the team compels me to predict that CSK's run will be limited to the Play-offs at the max.