Coming into the auction the questions to be asked about CSK were: Where is that firepower at the top order to complement their captain? Who is going to be your new ball specialist? Who is your strike spinner?
What is going to be addressed today:
Have they answered those questions in the auction? What does their potential Playing XI look like?
CSK Squad 2025:
Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, Shaikh Rasheed
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway
All-rounders: Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Rachin Ravindra, R. Ashwin, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran. Ramakrishna Ghosh
Fast bowlers: Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Gurjanpreet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Spinners: Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal
Firepower at the top of the order has always been a cause of concern since Du Plessis had left CSK and while it seemed like they had the answer with Devon Conway or Rachin Ravindra, Rachin was extremely inconsistent, and even though Conway found massive success at the top, he played very similar cricket to Gaikwad in terms of aggression which didn't really answer the question of firepower. So, what did they do to address this concern? They bought back Conway and Rachin but this time, in a very different situation. Both Conway and Rachin have had a lack of proper form of late with inconsistent innings from both players. They have also invested in Rahul Tripathi, who is known for aggressive style in the power play. He was also the missing link at No.3 for SRH last season which helped in their run to the final. He provides as a solid aggressive option at No.3 for CSK. Sam Curran, the former CSK young gun has returned to the side and is a very solid option at No.4. He had been in very good form off late with the bat as well. If Conway or Rachin can fire alongside Gaikwad, followed by Tripathi and Curran, this batting unit will have the firepower they need and the tactical advantage as well due to the lefty-right combo. But it is all laid on an if statement. Time will tell if they have found a proper solution.
In terms of finding a new ball specialist to pair with Pathirana's death over bowling, CSK have addressed that problem perfectly. They have invested in two extremely solid left arm seam bowling options in Khaleel Ahmed and Sam Curran. in 2024, Khaleel picked up 17 wickets in 14 games along with two maiden overs and Curran picked up 16 wickets in 13 innings. At the Chepauk, Ashwin could also be a very smart option with the new ball as he's done it with CSK in the past.
They also brought in two strike spinners in terms of Ravichandran Ashwin and Noor Ahmed. Noor Ahmed has dominated the T20 circuit over the last year by not only picking up wickets but also bowling with a very solid economy. He picked up 8 wickets in 10 games last season with an economy of 8.32. In the CPL this year, Noor picked up 22 wickets in 12 games with an astonishing economy of 6.19 and emerged as the highest wicket taker and player of the tournament. Ashwin and Jadeja will reunite at the Chepauk and surely this trio will be able to produce great numbers at a home where spin is most favored.
Predicted Playing XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, M.S Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmed, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube (Impact Sub).
CSK fans, how you feeling this year?
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