The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to commence on the 22 March. Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions of the title. CSK will kickstart their campaign by playing the season opener on their home turf against RCB.
With a last-ball finish to seal the title last season, all eyes will be on how Super Kings defend their crown in the IPL 2024. Although numerous changes have been made in other teams, Chennai Super Kings again depend on their consistent core. This article deals with the CSK squad 2024 IPL in detail.
So, without wasting any time, let’s start.
CSK Squad Breakdown
The Chennai squad for the 2024 IPL comprises the following players:
Batters: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni, Aravelly Avinash
All-Rounders: Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Fast-Bowlers: Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Mustafizur Rahman, Shardul Thakur, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande
Spinners: Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki
CSK Squad Strengths
CSK is one of the most successful franchises in IPL. The squad for the 2024 IPL contains the following strengths:
Most Versatile Batting Order
One of the biggest strengths of Chennai Super Kings lies in their batting unit. They have one of the most formidable batting depths in the IPL 2024. On the top of the order, they have batters like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell. The middle order comprises Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni.
Ruturaj and Conway’s pairing at the top was a vital cog to CSK’s stellar starts in the IPL last season. Conway has been ruled out of the 1st half of the IPL 2024 due to a thumb injury. Most likely, Rachin Ravindra will open the innings with Gaikwad in this edition of IPL.
The inclusion of Daryl Mitchell further strengthens the CSK squad 2024 IPL. His stocks grew after he amassed 552 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He might prove to be the X factor for his side in place of Ben Stokes. Similarly, Shivam Dube in middle-order, is a spin-hitting beast.
Quality Spinners
Chennai Super Kings have the most formidable spin attack in their arsenal. The main face of spin bowling is Ravindra Jadeja. In the previous edition of IPL, Jadeja performed brilliantly for his side. He was the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He took 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.56.
Super Kings have one of the best Kiwi spinners, Mitchell Santner on their side. However, due to the availability of Jadeja, he hasn’t got much chance over the last couple of years.
Nevertheless, with his performance, he has proven himself a much better backup option in Jadeja’s unavailability. The presence of Ravindra and Theekshana further strengthens the spin department.
Phenomenal All-Rounders
The all-rounders play a potent role in shifting the momentum at any point in the white-ball cricket. Chennai Super Kings have also some big names in their all-rounders’ department that can change the course of any game. They include Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, and Mitchell Santner.
The addition of Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra further makes the all-rounder’s set phenomenal. Ravindra Jadeja has been exceptional for Chennai since 2012, both with bat and ball. He is the man who sealed the victory against Gujrat Titans in the final of the 2023 IPL by smashing a boundary and a six.
Shardul Thakur is the highest wicket-taker bowler for Chennai in their title-winning years of 2018 and 2021. His prowess at the death should help CSK plug one of their most gaping holes. On the back of an insignificant run in the IPL, Shardul too would be keen on using his fresh CSK stint to roar back in style.
MSD – The Mastermind
Chennai Super Kings have made 12 playoff appearances and won 5 IPL titles in 14 editions they played. The one thing that made Chennai, the most successful team is the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
He has gained much prominence over the last 17 years due to his leadership and ruthless batting display. His cricketing experience as a leader is one of the biggest strengths for Chennai Super Kings. With his vast experience, he has won 133 matches in IPL.
CSK Squad Weaknesses
There are also some weak points that CSK should watch out for in the 2024 IPL:
Lack of Experienced International Pacers
Chennai lacks experienced International fast-bowlers in the CSK squad 2024 IPL. They have Deepak Chahar and Matheesha Pathirana as quality fast bowlers. However, they lack a high level of aggressive prowess in their bowling attack.
Bangladesh’s sensational pacer, Mustafizur is a good choice but he might not be able to make his way in playing 11. CSK lacks the quality pacers that can provide them with the best performance in crunch situations.
Shardul Thakur is good at picking wickets but he has been expensive. Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar performed decently in the previous season but the team needs a bowler who can put pressure on the opposition in the death overs.
Out of Form Rahane
Ajankya Rahane was the backbone of Chennai’s top order in the 2023 IPL. He scored runs with the bat with consistency. However, there has been a dip in his form recently in domestic cricket.
It will be interesting to watch whether he performs according to the expectations or not. If he is unable to find rhythm and form, it will be challenging for CSK to look for some other Indian options at the top.
Subtle Impact of Dhoni’s Bat
Dhoni has been exceptional with his leadership skills but he was struggling with the bat in the last season. He used to bat at #7 usually and was unable to contribute with the bat for his side.
Moreover, he is not physically 100% fit, as he is struggling with his injured knee.
Ideal Playing 11 of CSK
Based on the stats and impact on the field, here is the probable playing 11 of CSK:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Rachin Ravindra
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Daryl Mitchell
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- MS Dhoni (captain)
- Deepak Chahar
- Shardul Thakur
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Matheesha Pathirana
Performance Prediction for CSK
While keeping in view the performance of Chennai Super Kings in the 2023 IPL, it is quite easy to predict their journey in the 2024 IPL. Chennai Super Kings have the strongest squad on paper to defend their crown.
They have the most formidable and versatile batting unit. They have some big names like Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Daryl Mitchell. Moreover, they have top-quality middle-order batters that can shift the momentum of the game at any moment.
The spin bowling attack is the strongest department of Chennai in the CSK squad 2024 IPL. They have the services of Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, and Moeen Ali. However, their pace bowling attack is a bit weak as it lacks high-quality international pacers.
Despite all of these debates, it is expected that Chennai will have a phenomenal season this year as well. They will be able to qualify for the playoffs and most probably play the final.
