Chennai Super Kings feel like a franchise in transition going into the 2023 IPL season.
CSK are a true heavyweight of the transformative T20 competition, with four titles, nine finals and 11 playoff appearances.
However, in 2022, Chennai were wretched as defending champions, finishing ninth overall and winning just four of their 14 games.
Can the long-standing alliance of coach Stephen Fleming and veteran wicketkeeper MS Dhoni — who resumed the captaincy when Ravindra Jadeja stepped down midway through last season — inspire a revival for a squad bolstered by the arrival of England Test captain Ben Stokes?
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CSK 2023 IPL squad
The most notable absentee from the Super Kings squad for 2023 is West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. The IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker retired after last season. He will start a new role as CSK bowling coach.
Jadeja is still around in a playing capacity despite a tumultuous 2022 and is likely to remain vital for Fleming's side.
| Player | Role | Age | Auction Price | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter | 34 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) | India |
| Devon Conway | Batter | 31 | IND 100 lakhs ($121,000) | New Zealand |
| Subhranshu Senapati | Batter | 26 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batter | 26 | IND 600 lakhs ($731,000) | India |
| Shaik Rasheed | Batter | 18 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| MS Dhoni | WK-Batter | 41 | IND 1200 lakhs ($1.46m) | India |
| Ambati Rayudu | WK-Batter | 37 | IND 675 lakhs ($823,000) | India |
| Moeen Ali | All-rounder | 35 | IND 800 lakhs ($975,000) | England |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 34 | IND 1600 lakhs ($1.95m) | India |
| Dwaine Pretorius | All-rounder | 33 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) | South Africa |
| Ben Stokes | All-rounder | 31 | IND 1625 lakhs ($1.98m) | England |
| Mitchell Santner | All-rounder | 31 | IND 190 lakhs ($231,000) | New Zealand |
| Shivam Dube | All-rounder | 29 | IND 400 lakhs ($487,000) | India |
| Ajay Mandal | All-rounder | 27 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Bhagath Varma | All-rounder | 24 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Rajvardhan Hangargekar | All-rounder | 20 | IND 150 lakhs ($182,000) | India |
| Nishant Sindhu | All-rounder | 18 | IND 60 lakhs ($73,000) | India |
| Deepak Chahar | Seamer | 30 | IND 1400 lakhs ($1.7m) | India |
| Tushar Deshpande | Seamer | 27 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Seamer | 26 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Simarjeet Singh | Seamer | 25 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Seamer | 20 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | Sri Lanka |
| Prashant Solanki | Spinner | 23 | IND 120 lakhs ($146,000) | India |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Spinner | 22 | IND 70 lakhs ($85,000) | Sri Lanka |
CSK stars, strengths & weaknesses
As the most consistent franchise in IPL history, it would take a bold observer to write off Chennai after last year's debacle.
They have only finished below fourth place twice, although those instances came in the past three seasons on either side of the 2021 title triumph.
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Stars
Stokes provides obvious star quality but how much he will be able to bring his considerable talents to bear remains to be seen. The all-rounder is nursing a long-standing knee injury that severely restricted his bowling during England's tour of New Zealand. With the Ashes on the horizon, England's talisman will be sure to manage his body carefully.
Jadeja is back in the ranks and will be hoping for a big season after a rib injury ended his curious 2022 early. Currently ranked as the ICC's No.1 all-rounder in Tests and No.8 for bowling alone in the longest format, the 34-year-old remains a formidable T20 opponent.
By name alone, Dhoni has to be mentioned here, although it remains questionable how many truly decisive performances the great man might have in his locker as he plays on in his fifth decade.
Oh Captain, our Captain! 💛#DencomingDay @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/OgyC7TeSLY
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 2, 2023
Strengths
To a large extent, it's the star quality mentioned above. Stokes has rapidly established himself as one of the most inspirational leaders and sharpest tactical minds in the game since taking the reins with England.
How he brings his vision to the table and is able to collaborate with Fleming, Dhoni and Jadeja will be fascinating for a side that might need to survive and scrap on their considerable wits at times.
Not as high-profile as the names above, Ajinkya Rahane looked like a very shrewd capture in the auction. The experienced batter could be crucial in an accumulator role, especially with the Super Kings back on the slower pitches of Chepauk.
Marine Drive ➡️ Marina! Whistle Vanakkam, Ajinkya! 🥳#DencomingDay pic.twitter.com/4sbc4j1eat
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 2, 2023
Weaknesses
Stokes is a like-for-like replacement for Bravo in terms of being a big-personality all-rounder. But even if he were at full fitness, the England hero would not be able to fill in for Bravo's mastery in the death overs.
Maheesh Theekshana has taken on this mantle for Sri Lanka and is the leading candidate.
In general, CKS's seam department looks light, especially in light of New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson being unable to recover from a back injury that has plagued him since last June. It leaves a lot of the burden on Deepak Chahar, who has declared himself "fully fit" after a nightmare 2022 when he suffered a stress fracture in the lower back and a grade three quad tear.
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