As the 16th edition of IPL comes into action, the defending champions – Chennai Super Kings, come into the spotlight because of their dazzling performance in the previous edition. MS Dhoni and his newly designed squad will be eyeing for another trophy and are expected to dominate the league this year as well.
During the IPL 2024 auction, the team management of Chennai Super Kings was active from the table and bought some of the best players from the draft. Chennaiโs strength lies in the hands of the batting unit and the players who can perform the duties of an allrounder.
In this article, we bring you the best possible playing XI combination for Chennai Super Kings.
The Top Order
Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ajinkye Rahane
Chennai Super Kingsโ biggest change this year is their top order where Devon Conway will be replaced by New Zealandโs World Cup hero Rachin Ravindra. Rachin will be playing his first ever IPL this year and he is getting his dream start under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
The Kiwi master hitter has been part of 20 T20 internationals and has scored 214 runs at an average of 16.5 and a strike rate of 133.8. However, he made headlines with his batting talent during the ODI World Cup where he finished the tournament as the 4th highest scorer with 578 runs in 10 fixtures at an average of 64.22.
He will be partnered with Chennaiโs veteran Ruturaj Gaikwad who has cemented his place in the team as one of the most dependable batsmen. Ajinkye Rahane will be coming at number 3. Rahane revived his international career in IPL 2023 and gave a good start to the team at the initial stages. This year as well he will be expected to do the same with two young guns at the start.
Middle-Order
Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni ยฉ
Chennai Super Kings splurged a huge amount in buying another Kiwi player Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell is expected to become part of Chennaiโs middle order. The Kiwi allrounder has been in top-class form in international cricket where he has scored 1260 runs in 63 fixtures at an average of 26.2 and a strike rate of 138.6.
In the year 2024, Mitchell was part of 4 T20 internationals and scored 158 runs at an average of 52.66 and a strike rate of 183.72. Shivam Dube will be part of the middle order as well. He had a good run at the beginning of the year as Dube scored 124 runs in 3 T20 internationals at an average of 124 and a strike rate of 158.97.
These two middle-order stars will be combined with two of the biggest names of IPL and Indian cricket – Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni. The duo will be expected to do major damage during the deathovers as they are known for the same.
Bowling Unit
Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana
The team management of Chennai is expected to make one minor change in the bowling unit. They bought Kolkataโs Shardul Thakur for a price tag of Rs. 4 Crore. Thakur will play the role of an allrounder and will be responsible for picking wickets during the middle overs.
Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, and Sri Lankaโs Matheesha Pathirana will be assigned similar duties as the previous edition of the IPL. Chennai Super Kings will also rely on Ravindra Jadeja for the spin attack in the 2nd spell. They also have Daryl Mitchell who can be used as a 6th bowling option during difficult times.
