Chennai Super Kings: The band of veterans eye fourth IPL title

If there is one team that has busted the myth that T20 cricket is all about young blood, it is the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni since the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the side has won the T20 championship thrice – in 2010, 2011, and 2018. Chennai Super Kings also won the Champions League T20 tournament twice in 2010 and 2014. 

Dhoni, 39, announced his retirement from international cricket in August and will now only be seen donning the yellow for CSK. Suresh Raina, who also announced his retirement moments after Dhoni on August 15, has been the mainstay of the side’s batting line up since several editions of IPL.

The Chennai-based IPL franchise not only has a formidable line up of players, but also a strong support staff. With Stephen Fleming as head coach, batting coach Michael Hussey, and bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji, CSK have some of the sharpest minds in the think tank. 

With foreign members like Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, and Indian stars Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav and others, the team has been one of the most consistent performers of the cash-rich league. 

IPL 2020 has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the coronavirus pandemic and many believe that conditions at the three venues – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi – would suit CSK the most. 

Can Dhoni do it once again for the Chennai Super Kings? Action begins on Saturday.

Chennai Super Kings – Full Team

Squad Strength: 24 (16 Indians and 8 overseas) 

New additions: Sam Curran, Piyush Chawla, Josh Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore 

Retained: MS Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Sahrdul Thakur, KM Asif, Deepak Chahr, N Jagadeesan, Lungi Ngidi, Monu Kumar