Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have already lost two seamers – Kyle Jamieson and Mukesh Choudhary – before the start of the season. While Jamieson wasn’t really a first-choice starter, losing Choudhary, who had impressed with the new ball in his debut season last year, is a big dent.
Nonetheless, MS Dhoni‘s team will still start as favorites to reach the playoffs – not only because of the acquisition of star England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was the MVP in 2017 when he last played in the IPL alongside MS Dhoni for Pune, but also because CSK will be returning to play their 7 home league matches at the spin-friendly Chepauk surface.
CSK have a spate of all-rounders, all of whom will help MS Dhoni with additional bowling options and increase batting depth – Jadeja, Stokes, Moeen, Shivam Dube, Chahar, Pretorius, Santner, and Hangargekar.
Jamieson’s replacement Sisanda Magala has been having an impressive year in SA20 and with South Africa, most impressive has been his line within the stumps.
Here’s CSK strongest predicted XI for IPL 2023:
Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (c,wk), Deepak Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Maheesh Theekshana
Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Tushar Deshpande are other Indian pace bowling options in CSK’s arsenal. It will be quite a thing that CSK’s best death bowler in this squad, Dwaine Pretorius, is likely to be benched mostly, and so will be the senior batsman Ajinkya Rahane.
Matheesha Pathirana, the slingy-actioned Sri Lankan pacer who left a good impression in his debut IPL season last year, will also mostly be carrying drinks.
CSK squad for IPL 2023:
MS Dhoni (C & wk), Moeen Ali, Bhagath Varma, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary (subject to fitness), Matheesha Pathirana, Dwaine Pretorius, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Ben Stokes, Maheesh Theekshana
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 schedule:
– Match 1: March 31, 2023 – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad (7:30PM IST)
– Match 2: April 3, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 3: April 8, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 4: April 12, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 5: April 17, 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)
– Match 6: April 21, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 7: April 23, 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata (7:30PM IST)
– Match 8: April 27, 2023 – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Jaipur (7:30PM IST)
– Match 9: April 30, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30PM IST)
– Match 10: May 4, 2023 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow (3:30PM IST)
– Match 11: May 6, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai (3:30PM IST)
– Match 12: May 10, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 13: May 14, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai (7:30PM IST)
– Match 14: May 20, 2023: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi (3:30PM IST)
