After a very poor season in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings have started the process of revamping their team for IPL 2023. While Dwayne Bravo, one of the greatest players in IPL history, did not retain the franchise ahead of the December 23 mini-auction, Robin Uthappa, one of their most outstanding players from last year, has already announced his retirement.
Dhoni is known as its mastermind as he knows how to use their players in the most suitable places. With the squad they have built over the years, the local players are even more used to the environment in Chennai. Know the best predicted playing XI of CSK retained players for IPL 2023.
IPL 2023: Current CSK Squad
MS Dhoni (C), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar , Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana
IPL 2023: CSK Best Player XI
25-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad excelled in the lucrative competition. The Pune-born bouncer became the first uncapped player ever to win the Orange Cap in 2021. In 2022, despite a dip in form, the opener made 368 runs in 14 matches.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
If Gaikwad can live up to his reputation of providing Chennai with a solid start, Chennai may be in for a sizeable score after 20 overs. Being one of the younger members of the Chennai team, his pace on the field is also impressive and CSK will rely heavily on his bat in the upcoming season.
Devon Conway
Devon Conway was outstanding in the few games he played in the previous competition. The 31-year-old scored a superb 145.66 to take him to 252 points in seven matches.
Gaikwad holding one side will give Conway the freedom to explode on the first ball, making him a very dangerous striker. Although not in fantastic form at the moment, the series against India has the potential to change that.
Moen Ali
In 2022, Ali amassed 244 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 137.85. He took eight wickets with the ball, at a remarkable economy of just 6.63. Moeen Ali can be Dhoni’s choice in the Cheapuk game where the ball turns because he crushes the opposition in the middle shots.
Ambati Rayudu
The batting order for Chennai is likely to be supported by the experienced Ambati Rayudu. The 37-year-old has proven himself over the years playing for Chennai and is indispensable in their batting unit. Rayudu can switch quickly from the role of anchor or breaker in a gentleman’s game. Rayudu has failed to tap into his full potential in 2022, but has already provided Chennai with some match-winning goals. He scored 274 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 122.32.
Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube can be quite lethal in the center if he can maintain his consistency. He was flawless in some games in 2022. The all-rounder had an excellent strike rate of 156.22 last season, scoring 289 runs from 11 matches. Shivam Dube can bat anywhere in the order and offers a lot of flexibility, but if given a specific task, he can be a decisive match winner.
MS Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is likely to play the last IPL season of his career. The 41-year-old scored 232 runs at a strike rate of 123.40 in 14 matches last season. Dhoni has struggled quite a bit over the years before finally showing signs of a return to form last year, but after another year off, he will be challenged to play the same style of cricket he once popularised.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja is one of the key players of the CSK team. The 32-year-old scored 116 runs at a strike rate of 118.37 in the 10 matches he played last year. It shows just how awful he was last year and he’ll be looking to improve in the 16th iteration of the competition. Jadeja has taken just five wickets with the ball, which is way below his average.
Dwaine Pretorius
In IPL 2018, Dwaine Pretorius will come in place of Dwayne Bravo. However, the South African international is yet to establish himself in the competition.
Pretorius featured in just six matches for Chennai Super Kings last season but still managed to score 44 runs and take six wickets. His economy of 10 is very high and if he wants to be a consistent player in the starting XI, that needs to change.
Deepak Chahar
Chahar will once again lead the bowling unit of Chennai Super Kings. He has been excellent with the ball in 2019 and luckily for him, captain MS Dhoni can make the most of him ahead of the World Cup. His batting background is another thing that is positive and would help the Chennai players to play an aggressive style of cricket because their batting is powerful.
Maheesh Theekshana
The 22-year-old Sri Lankan spinner’s expertise will be essential for Chennai, especially given the turning points of the Chepauk Stadium. Led by MS Dhoni, he has the potential to be a decisive match winner and will only get better next season.
Theekshana picked up 12 wickets at an economy of 7.46 in the nine matches he played for CSK last season. The Sri Lankan is expected to feature for his team as he is the only quality spinner in the line-up.
Mukesh Chowdhary
Chennai’s best bowler in the previous competition was Mukesh Chowdhary. With the new ball, the pacer has been really helpful and along with Deepak Chahar in the upcoming season, Mukesh can be very dangerous.
In the 15th IPL, Mukesh played in 13 matches and took 16 wickets at an economy rate of 9.32. While he can score consistently, he also allows a lot of runs. He needs to get better in this area this coming season.
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