Chennai Super Kings Preview IPL 2023: MS Dhoni & Co Back at Chepauk to Rediscover Lost Spark

Chennai Super Kings Team Preview IPL 2023: It’s time for the ‘Whistle Podu’ at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai as Thala MS Dhoni is back at the den with his Yellow Army. It’s been three years since Covid-19 affected the Indian Premier League (IPL), forcing the franchises to leave their homes and set their bases in a different region. But as normalcy prevails, CSK return home and so does the excitement among the fans who are eagerly waiting to gather at Chepauk in large numbers and witness Dhoni & Co ruling the game again.

The 4-time winners will open their campaign against reigning champion Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on March 31. CSK will play their first home game on April 3 against Lucknow Super Giants and it’s no wonder that the fans would have marked the date already.

ALSO READ| IPL 2023: How CSK Skipper MS Dhoni Comforted An Angry Ravindra Jadeja

CSK have begun training in Chennai while skipper Dhoni has already shown a glimpse of how he is going to entertain the home crowd. But at the same time, the franchise seems to have been hit by an injury scare. Pacer Mukesh Choudhary is likely to remain out of action for most of the tournament due to an injury. CEO Kasi Viswanathan has also said that the team isn’t hoping for the bowler’s speedy recovery. But the good news is, Deepak Chahar is raring to go and has been firing all cylinders at the nets. CSK’s bowling will be powered by heavyweight Ben Stokes and his compatriot Moeen Ali who have arrived in India and have linked up with the squad. Last but not the least, Ravindra Jadeja remains an integral part of the team, sending out a message that, ‘All is Well.’

How They Fared Last Time

CSK entered the 2022 season as the defending champions but hardly they could manage to continue the momentum. The campaign started under the leadership of Ravindra Jadeja which also sent signs of Dhoni giving up on his IPL career. But the change in leadership proved to be a disastrous move as they lost four games on the trot before collecting the first point on the tally. A couple of losses later, Dhoni returned as captain but it was too late to rescue the side. On the other hand, Jadeja got injured and was ruled out towards the business end of the season. All these transitions badly impacted CSK’s performance and they ended the season being 9th on the points table with just 4 wins out of 14 games.

ALSO READ| ‘World’s Best All-Rounders in Same Team’: Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes’ CSK Pic Takes Internet by Storm

Top Player (s) to Watch Out For

Ben Stokes: The English all-rounder was roped in for a whopping amount of Rs 16.25 crore, the third joint-highest price tag ever in the IPL. He has undoubtedly been a hot property in the tournament and his reassociation with MS Dhoni is expected to be explosive and devastating in the upcoming season.

Ajinkya Rahane: He was once the skipper of a title-winning IPL franchise but now, Rahane looks for stability. Just like Stokes, he too re-unites with Dhoni which is being considered as the revival of the veteran Indian batter in white-ball cricket. As Robin Uthappa goes out, Rahane comes a top-order Indian batting option for the side.

MS Dhoni: The CSK captain was waiting to perform before the Chennai fans and the time has finally arrived. The upcoming season is going to be crucial for him as the experts suggest, IPL 2023 could be his last. The videos of his muscular avatar hitting long sixes at the Chepauk have already set social media ablaze. It will be interesting to see how 41-year-old Dhoni performs on the field.

ALSO READ| Hardik Pandya & MS Dhoni are Pretty Similar in the Way They Handle Things: Gujarat Titans’ Sai Kishore

Strongest Playing XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh.

Full 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, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.

ALSO READ| Decline of CSK? Matthew Hayden Urges MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu to Shun ‘Dad’s Army’ Moniker With Key Performances

Chennai Super Kings Full Schedule

Match 1: March 31, 2023 – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM IST, Ahmedabad

Match 2: April 3, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, 7:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 3: April 8, 2023 – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM IST, Mumbai

Match 4: April 12, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 7:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 5: April 17, 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM IST, Bengaluru

Match 6: April 21, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 7: April 23, 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM IST, Kolkata

ALSO READ| ‘Thalapathy is Here,’ Chennai Super Kings Announce Ravindra Jadeja’s Arrival

Match 8: April 27, 2023 – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 7:30 PM IST, Jaipur

Match 9: April 30, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, 3:30 PM IST Chennai

Match 10: May 4, 2023 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, 3:30 PM IST, Lucknow

Match 11: May 6, 2023 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 3:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 12: May 10, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, 7:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 13: May 14, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7:30 PM IST, Chennai

Match 14: May 20, 2023: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, 3:30 PM IST, Delhi

Get the latest Cricket News here