IPL 2023 CSK franchise will be keen to bounce back after a disappointing campaign in 2022. The four-time champions have bought Ben Stokes and a few talented players in the IPL 2023 auction. Will 2023 be a successful season for the ‘Yellow Army’?
IPL 2023 CSK Players
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have one of the best opening batting pairs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway had an excellent campaign in the 15th edition. They stitched together two hundred-run stands, and the 182-run partnership against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune was the fifth-best stand for the opening wicket in IPL history.
Ambati Rayudu is the most experienced player in the batting unit. The 37-year-old has scored over 4000 IPL runs and had a decent outing in the CSK colors last year. But Ben Stokes is the player to watch out for in the CSK lineup. The Englishman’s presence will be a big boost to the franchise, which was desperate to find an x-factor player.
CSK will expect Indian pacers Deepak Chahar and Mukesh Choudhary to deliver the goods. Chahar missed the entire IPL 2022 with a back injury, while Mukesh was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets. With Kyle Jamieson and Dwaine Pretorius in their ranks, CSK has depth in the fast bowling department.
Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and Maheesh Theekshana make the CSK spin department formidable. Though the former CSK captain struggled in IPL 2022, Jadeja remains one of the key members of the squad. On the other hand, Theekshana will be keen to resume from where he left off in IPL last season. The Sri Lankan bagged 53 wickets at an economy of 6.70 in T20s in 2022.
CSK 2023 Squad
MS Dhoni, Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Tushar Deshpande, Subhranshu Senapati, Maheesh Theekshana, Simarjeet Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shaik Rasheed, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prashant Solanki, Kyle Jamieson, Nishant Sindhu, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Chahar, Bhagath Varma, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajay Mandal
Captain of CSK in IPL 2023
CSK had appointed Ravindra Jadeja as the permanent successor to MS Dhoni ahead of the IPL 2022 season. But the all-rounder left the captaincy after eight games into the 15th edition. The ‘Captain Cool’ returned to the hot seat again and is likely to lead the CSK squad in IPL 2023. Ben Stokes is another contender to take over the reins from the legendary wicketkeeper.
MS Dhoni Captaincy Record
Dhoni has been the most consistent captain in IPL.
Matches: 210, Won: 123, Lost: 86, No Result: 1
Head Coach of CSK
Stephen Fleming is the longest-serving head coach in the IPL. He has been at the helm of the CSK coaching staff since the 2009 season. Under him, the Chennai outfit won four IPL titles and the Champions League T20 trophy twice. Fleming has also coached Rising Pune Supergiants in the 2016 and 2017 editions. Mike Hussey is CSK’s batting coach, and Lakshmipathy Balaji is the bowling coach.
IPL 2023 CSK Schedule
CSK will be keen to avoid a repeat of the start the franchise made last time around. The then Ravindra Jadeja-led team managed just one win in their opening six fixtures. The season didn’t get any better as CSK failed to pick up points consistently. The second-most successful IPL franchise ended its campaign with three straight defeats.
Venue
The CSK team will play at MA Chidambaram Stadium after a gap of four years. The Chidambaram Stadium hosted a few matches in the IPL 2021 edition, but none of the games involved its home team. Apart from a defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians, CSK won six of its seven league matches at its home venue in the IPL 2019 season.
CSK has been the most consistent team in the IPL over the years. However, MS Dhoni’s men struggled to make the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. Will CSK return to the top in IPL 2023?
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FAQs about IPL 2023 CSK
How many times CSK won IPL?
CSK has won the IPL four times – 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021 seasons. The franchise has also finished runners-up five times.
Is Ambati Rayudu retired?
Ambati Rayudu will play for CSK in the IPL 2023 season. But he announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season via Twitter, only to backtrack on that decision immediately.
How many runs has Ben Stokes scored in IPL?
Ben Stokes has scored 920 runs in 42 innings. He has hit two centuries and as many half-centuries.
