Chennai returned from the lows of the 2022 season to win their 4th IPL title in 2023, displaying strength across pretty much every facet of the game. An already impressive squad has been added to in the off-season making CSK one of the firm favourites as we head into IPL 2024.
CSK's season was neatly bookended by 2 games in Ahmedabad. They were at the huge Narendra Modi Stadium for the opening fixture against GT which they lost to what looked a far superior side but they returned there against the same opposition to win a thrilling final.
Like all great tournament teams they seemed to get stronger as the season progressed and with the vast experience not to mention quality that they had available in their squad, once they had made the play-offs they were always likely to be a major threat.
The stats above show how the CSK squad had no obvious weaknesses in IPL 2023.
Their top order scored at not only the 2nd fastest rate in the powerplay but in doing so lost the least number of wickets. When considering the options they possess in the middle and lower order, this led to them being able to consistently post competitive scores or chase them where necessary.
Similarly with ball in hand, they took regular wickets in the powerplay allowing them to dominate the middle overs and consistently use their plethora of slow bowlers to strangle the opposition, all under the careful management of MS Dhoni whose return to the captaincy had a major impact on the transformation of a team that looked lost at times in 2022.
Home advantage was always likely to be a key factor on the slow and often turning pitches in Chennai but CSK demonstrated that they had the options to win away from home as well.
As for individuals, Conway and Gaikwad were excellent at the top of the order while Ajinke Rahane was probably the surprise package of the tournament. Most observers would have thought that he was at Chennai as back-up in an injury crisis and a good man to have around the squad. Not many would have predicted that a player whose IPL career looked over would end up hitting at a S/R of 172+, the 4th best of any batsmen who faced over 100 balls last season.
Elsewhere Shivam Dube had by far his most effective season in the IPL striking 35 sixes in total, a feat only bettered by Faf du Plessis who hit 36 maximums but faced over 200 balls more than Dube.
With ball in hand Deshpande lead the wicket taking with 21 and was highly effective in the powerplay. Ravi Jadeja moved back into the ranks and put his horror show season in 2022 behind him to claim 20 victims himself. Meanwhile at the back end of the innings it was the slingy action of Pathirana that so often got CSK over the line. Of the 19 wickets the Sri Lankan took in IPL 2023, 18 of them came in the final 5 overs while despite bowling almost exclusively at a time in the game where runs usually flow, he maintained an economy rate of 8 an over!
CSK love allrounders and therefore it was no great surprise to see them go in for players who can offer something with both bat and ball. Kiwi pair Mitchell and Ravindra, fresh off successful World Cup stints come in to join fellow New Zealander and long term head coach of CSK, Stephen Flemming.
Similarly CSK welcome back Shardul Thakur, a player whose most recent appearance in the yellow jersey saw him out LBW to the the last ball of the IPL 2019 final as Mumbai Indians clinched a thrilling victory.
Young Sameer Rizvi also came in and will offer yet another option to the hitting power of the middle order.
CSK will once again be packed with all-rounders and a range of batting options will ensure left-hand right hand combinations throughout the innings, an area the team management continues to believe is key to success.
Career T20 records v types of bowling and in phases of the game
Of the batsmen above, only Gaiwkad and Rahane don't bowl or keep wicket and the fact that every other player can contribute in multiple facets of the game gives whatever XI they choose to field great depth with bat and ball in hand.
If there is a potential weakness for both openers then it is very early on with the moving ball. Gaikwad is vulnerable against a ball angled across him from a left-armer while Conway has a technical deficiency against the ball that nips back. However, with the white ball offering very little movement and for the most part that movement only lasting a couple of overs, then these may remain weaknesses that sides struggle to expose. Both players have excellent records against spin which also means they are very capable of batting through the innings and well into the death overs where their scoring rate only increases.
The above stats for Rahane who batted at number 3 for most of last season are somewhat misleading as his performance in IPL 2023 was nothing like what we've seen over his long career prior. Having a number 3 that can take full advantage of the powerplay should an early wicket fall is a must for any side hoping to make the later stages of the tournament. Can Rahane play that role again?
In the middle order CSK have plenty of options and they will be guided by conditions and match-ups as to who they pick and who bats where in any given match.
Mooen and Dube are ideally suited to hitting spin but are equally adept at clearing the boundary off any bowling during the death overs. Meanwhile Jadeja and Dhoni will play the role of finishers largely coming to the crease in the final 5 overs of matches to exploit their head to head records against pace.
Ambati Rayudu's retirement opens up a spot in the middle order for a right-hander and it seems likely that it will go to either Mitchell or Sameer Rizvi. The former would require a rethink of the overseas spots if we assume that Conway, Moeen and the 2 Sri Lankans are first choice picks.
Sameer Rizvi meanwhile hit a majestic century in the UP T20 league at the back end of 2023 mixing brute power with languid timing. In many ways he looks like a right-handed version of Dube but will he take as long as Dube did to really stamp his authority in the IPL? It's worth bearing in mind that despite playing in all 16 of CSK's matches last season, Rayudu only faced 113 balls suggesting that whoever gets the nod will have a chance to ease themselves into an otherwise settled team.
With the likes of Thakur and Chahar potentially coming in as late as number 9, CSK have a strength and depth in their batting that can be matched by few if any of the other franchises in IPL 2024.
Career T20 bowling stats by phase of the game
CSK have a huge number of bowling options to choose from and a good number who specialise in certain phases of the game.
Upfront, you'd assume that Deepak Chahar will take the new ball and look for any movement on offer while at the other extreme of the innings, Pathirana will be there main operator.
Spin wise, CSK are very well catered for with the slow-left arm of Jadeja, the off-spin of Moeen and the mystery spin of Theekshana. The Sri Lanka also offers considerable flexibility with when he can deliver his overs, regularly coming on in the powerplay when the situation requires it.
Depending on how they choose to balance the team, it's likely that CSK will then pick from 1 or 2 local seamers. Tushar Deshpande was the leading wicket taker for CSK last season improving on what had otherwise been a disappointing IPL career to that point. He had a happy knack of picking up wickets, perhaps as opposition teams looked to target him ahead of others but he was expensive at times particularly when bowling at the death.
Shardul Thakur has returned to the franchise and will be looking to restart his career as a bowler in this format. He bowled just 21 overs in total during IPL 2023 playing for a KKR side which regularly found themselves on the receiving end of some big scores, particularly at Eden Gardens. Thakur's stats show his flexibility throughout the innings with his % total balls bowled split almost equally across all 3 phases. That kind of flexibility could prove very useful in a side whose frontline pacers are specialists.
CSK retained the core of their title winning squad from 2023 and made some smart acquisitions in the auction, bringing in players that you can see fitting into their style of play with ease.
They'll have plenty of batting depth, bowling options and experience in whatever XI they choose to field and we know that they are very effective in home conditions where Dhoni's on-field captaincy more than makes up for his diminishing returns with the bat.
In that regard and with a mega auction due ahead of IPL 2025 this could well be Dhoni's last season in a CSK shirt. There were some raised eyebrows when CSK retained him in 2022 before he then stepped down as captain only to return a year later and lead his team to yet another title. It would be a fitting end to a magnificent career if he were to do so again.
I would expect CSK to reach the playoffs again and there is no reason to suspect that they can't claim one of the coverted top 2 positions allowing them an easier route to the final and perhaps another title.
All stats used in this blog are from my own database which is freely accessible at T20 head to head. Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images which are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free
