Credit: IPL
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn’t have a great campaign in IPL 2024 under their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad as they concluded their journey in the round-robin stage. This year, they will look to play according to their reputation and lift the coveted trophy for the sixth time. At the IPL 2025 auction held in Jeddah in November 2024, CSK fetched prominent names such as Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rahul Tripathi for the upcoming season. With IPL 2025 just a couple of weeks away, SportsTiger has prepared the strongest XI of CSK.
Here is CSK's Strongest Predicted Playing XI for this season:
Openers: Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
Openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad will have to deliver aggressive starts to Super Kings with their formidable batting style. They will be critical to CSK's IPL 2025 campaign especially when the pitches at the Chepauk will be most conducive to bat in the first half of the innings.
Middle-order: Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, and MS Dhoni (wk)
Despite Rahul Tripathi’s underwhelming performances in the last couple of IPL seasons, CSK have trusted him to reinforce their batting order. Shivam Dube will look to have a blast with his bat in the middle-order. Deepak Hooda looked miserable in the last two editions of the league but the CSK team management will want him to be disciplined for them. Veteran MS Dhoni will back himself to play the role of finisher efficiently for the team in what could be his final season in the IPL.
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran
Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran will be crucial for the Yellow Army in all departments of the game. Curran will be seen in CSK colours after four years. Back in 2021, the England player chipped in with nine wickets in Chennai’s fourth title win.
Bowlers: Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, and Matheesha Pathirana
Ravichandran Ashwin will spearhead CSK’s spin-bowling unit and he will get the assistance from Afghanistan’s young leg-spinner Noor Ahmad. Matheesha Pathirana will be expected to do wonders with the ball with his pace bowling.
Impact Players: Mukesh Choudhary in, Rahul Tripathi out
Mukesh Choudhary can be seen breaking into the playing XI as an impact player. The left-arm pacer looked in fine touch with the ball for Maharashtra in the domestic season 2024-25.
