Chennai endured a very underwhelming campaign in 2022, eventually limping to a ninth-place finish. They began the season with Ravindra Jadeja in charge, only for him to hand over captaincy to MS Dhoni mid-way. Jadeja was then ruled out for the remainder of the season. That, coupled with Deepak Chahar’s unavailability, compounded their woes.

Veterans Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa have since announced their retirement from IPL cricket, meaning that they have at least two vital spots to fill. N Jagadeesan, who has been in a rich vein of form in domestic cricket, was also released by the franchise.

Chennai Super Kings team 2023

Strengths

Continuity, like it almost always is with Chennai. Dhoni will be at the helm, and as long as he is, they will believe. Chahar and Jadeja are also expected to be in the mix, giving their all-round options, new-ball prowess and batting muscle in the middle and lower orders. Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad has been plundering white-ball runs for fun lately.

So, with almost all of these players aware of what their role is in the side, they willcould be a tough proposition to crack, especially if they find their groove early in the tournament. Oh, and Chennai will have nine games at Chepauk. That should help.

Weaknesses

A lot of players could come into the IPL on the back of minimal game-time. Dhoni does not play any cricket apart from the IPL. Ambati Rayudu plays domestic cricket but it is unclear how much of the Ranji Trophy he will play. Chahar and Jadeja have been injury prone of late, and have not played consistently for India.

Death bowling is a major concern. Last season, Chennai had the second worst economy rate during this phase. Mukesh Choudhary, who flourished in the powerplay, was found wanting towards the end. Chahar also does not operate in that phase often, meaning that one of the spinners (most probably Maheesh Theekshana) could have to fill in that role.

Likely buys

One player the entire Chennai fanbase wants back is Sam Curran. The Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup, he ticks all the boxes. He can bowl at the death, he provides a left-handed middle order option but above all, he has the ability to hold his nerve in clutch situations – a trait Chennai pride dearly. If they will be able to get him is another matter altogether. But with Chennai having a fairly decent purse, and most of their other bases covered, they could go all in for Curran.

Chennai could also be on the lookout for a top-order destroyer. Devon Conway and Gaikwad, while excellent players, prefer to build their innings before teeing off. If they cannot get Curran, they could look at Cam Green, who can maximise the powerplay and chip in with a few overs. Harry Brook, Nicholas Pooran and Rilee Rossouw could also be tempting picks, although Chennai might not have enough of a budget to get those deals across the line.

P.S: Do not rule out a bid for Joe Root either. He has fond memories of batting in Chennai.

Chennai Super Kings squad (overseas cricketers underlined)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mitchell Santner, Matheesha Pathirana, Subhranshu Senapati, Tushar Deshpande

Purse for Chennai Super Kings team, 2023: INR 20.45 crore. Slots remaining: Seven (two overseas)