IPL 2024: Decoding the best playing XI for CSK
Five-time winners Chennai Super Kings will head into the 2024 he Indian Premier League (IPL) as defending champions. The side made some brilliant buys in the auction. They broke the bank for Daryl Mitchell before getting Rachin Ravindra and Shardul Thakur under their estimated bids. However, Devon Conway's untimely injury has somewhat dented their plans. Here we decode their best XI for IPL 2024.
Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra
Conway will at least miss the first half of the season due to a thumb injury. This opens the door for his NZ teammate Rachin Ravindra, who bagged his maiden IPL contract. The southpaw has been brilliant in NZ colors. Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad will partner Ravindra at the top. The former has been a run machine for CSK since the 2020 season.
Mitchell, Rahane, and Dube to feature in middle-order
Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube played instrumental roles in CSK's IPL 2023 triumph. The duo will look to replicate their heroics in the middle-order. NZ's Daryl Mitchell, who bagged Rs. 14 crore in the auction, will assist Dube and Rahane. Mitchell has been in serious run-scoring form lately. Meanwhile, Dube, Rahane, and Mitchell are likely to bat at number three, four, and five respectively.
Who will ace the finisher's role?
Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and MS Dhoni are the designated finishers of the team. The trio has toiled the best of bowlers in the past IPL seasons. Their batting positions may alter as per the situation. While skipper Dhoni will double up as a keeper, Jadeja and Moeen can also contribute with their spin bowling. Notably, Rachin Ravindra is also a spin-bowling all-rounder.
Here are the bowlers
With CSK having three spinners in their top eight, the final three spots should be taken by pacers. Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, and Matheesha Pathirana should make the cut. As the injured Pathirana is likely to miss the first few games, Mustafizur Rahman could take the field. Shardul and Chahar are also handy batters. Hence, CSK's batting depth could trouble many bowlers this season.
CSK's best XI for IPL 2024
CSK's best XI for IPL 2024: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana/Mustafizur Rahman.