Five times IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained their core players and added few new ones to get a balanced team. For the upcoming IPL 2025 season, top players like MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and others will continue to push the team forward. The Stephen Fleming-coached team's biggest purchase at the mega auction was Afghanistan's left-arm spinner, Noor Ahmad, who was bought for INR 10 Crore. He will also be the first Afghan player to represent CSK in the IPL's history with the highest bid. R Ashwin's return for INR 9.75 Crore was another highlight of the auction, as he hopes to resume his partnership with Jadeja.
CSK would have been shocked by the modest price at which they were able to re-sign Devon Conway (INR 6.25 Crore) and Rachin Ravindra (INR 4 Crore), despite expecting a much greater value. The acquisition of left-arm bowler Khaleel Ahmed (INR 4.80 Crore), young bowling all-rounder Anshul Kamboj, and pacer Gurjapneet Singh from Tamil Nadu, is the best purchase giving opportunity to Indian fast bowling talent. The overall acquisition gives the best lineup for CSK's XI ahead of the IPL 2025.
CSK's strongest XI for IPL 2025
Openers: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad
CSK may keep Devon Conway-Ruturaj Gaikwad as their opening combination due to their strong partnership in the last IPL 2023 season. Together, they scored 849 runs in 15 matches, including fifty-plus scores and two century-stands. Conway, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from New Zealand has so far scored 924 runs from just 23 matches. Ruturaj, who will lead CSK in IPL 2025, scored 2380 runs in his 66 IPL matches.
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Middle Order: Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi
Rachin Ravindra, a New Zealand left-handed batter, who made his IPL debut for CSK in 2024, has been re-signed by the team through RTM for INR 4 Crore. Besides strong middle-order batting skills, he can restrict runs of the opposite through his spin-bowling abilities. CSK also roped in Rahul Tripathi for INR 3.40 Crore at the mega auction. The right-handed batter from Maharashtra is expected to replace Ajinkya Rahane in CSK's playing XI, having scored 2,236 runs in his previous appearances.
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Lower Middle Order: Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni
Shivam Dube's impressive IPL stint resulted in getting retained in the team for INR 12 Crore. To date, the 31-year-old all-rounder has scored 1,502 runs and scalped five wickets in the IPL. Other than him, Ravindra Jadeja, a popular Indian all-rounder, retained his place in the team for a hefty INR 18 Crore. He has an amazing record with 2,959 runs and 160 wickets across his last four IPL seasons. Both can be a reliable asset for the team. However, the combination of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran can boost the lower order and strengthen CSK's lower order, adding depth and balance. Wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni was also retained for INR 4 Crore and will continue to inject his experience in the IPL 2025 season.
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Bowlers: Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
CSK XI has a strong bowling line-up that can boost the team's performance. Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will have a strong presence in the bowling attack. Meanwhile, Sam Curran, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana will spearhead the pace attack. New addition, Anshul Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh are best domestic talents in their lineup and can be looked upon if need arises. Kamboj picked up 10-wickets in an inning for Haryana, Gurjapneet, on the other hand, picked up 6/22 for Tamil Nadu on his Ranji debut. CSK also picked Shreyas Gopal, and if not benched could create an impact in the second innings.
CSK's Strongest Playing XI in IPL 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk.), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Sam Curran, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.
