The Super Kings are back! Thala and Jaddu remain at the heart of the squad, Ash Anna returns to where it all began, and Kadai Kutty Singam is back in yellow. The Yellow Army couldn’t have asked for a better reunion, celebrating with their signature Whistle Podu—‘Chennai Super Kings ku periya Whistle Adinga!’
Chennai Super Kings, a storied franchise, have followed a consistent pattern over the past five seasons—each league-stage exit has been followed by a title-winning campaign. Last season, they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, finishing fifth behind RCB on NRR. So, who knows? A sixth title might be incoming, just like the former players.
They retained the core of their squad—Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni. The team then added around 20 players via auction, marking the returns of Devon Conway, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Sam Curran to the team.
CSK looks like a solid and well-balanced team, here’s an analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, and key takeaways.
CSK IPL 2025 Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
Strengths
Their top-order has been bolstered with the return of Conway, reuniting his partnership with captain Gaikwad at the top. The duo were pivotal to CSK’s successful title run in 2023, averaging 52 and 42, respectively. At number three, joining one of them at the crease, will be New Zealand’s young batting sensation, Rachin Ravindra, who has been on a meteoric rise. They even have a seasoned player in Rahul Tripathi, who can slot in at four or move into the top three if they choose to shuffle things up.
Added to this is a strong group of all-rounders—Dube at five, who struck at a strike rate of 162 last season, followed by the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Vijay Shankar, and even Ashwin. The depth of the squad is incredible, giving the team the freedom to experiment.
Subsequently, they might also have one of the best spin units. And with M. A. Chidambaram known for its spin-friendly surfaces, CSK will fully exploit their depth and suffocate opponents’ free run-scoring.
They have three quality front-line spinners, each bringing different skill sets to the table. First, there is the veteran Ashwin, who will be pulling in a massive share of the crowd in Chennai by himself—he is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. He will reunite with his partner-in-crime at the international level, Jaddu, who has always been a reliable force for CSK. Lastly, the new inclusion, Afghan spin sensation Noor Ahmad, who averaged 27 for Gujarat Titans over the past seasons while taking 137 wickets in T20s.
Weaknesses
Even though their batting might look strong on paper, it becomes wafer-thin when it comes to finishers. Jadeja isn’t the best of finishers—he adds depth but has had a strike rate of 137 over the last three seasons, averaging just 17, making him difficult to rely upon. Then comes MS Dhoni, who has collectively faced only 130 balls over the last two seasons. He generally comes in late depending on the situation. He struck at a 220 strike rate last season, but at 43 years old, he cannot be expected to stay fit day in and day out or fire in every match.
The backups, Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar, aren’t the best either. Both have had an abysmal run over the past few seasons and are unlikely to make the XI—at best, they serve as injury replacements.
Opportunities
With Dhoni turning 44 this June, he is unlikely to stick around for long. This presents Ruturaj with the opportunity to continue extracting as much knowledge and guidance from Captain Cool as possible. His continuous development under Dhoni will be crucial for CSK’s transition.
Young players like Anshul Kamboj, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, and Shaikh Rasheed will also benefit from the experience of playing at a storied club like CSK.
Guiding the Youngstars with a touch of MaSterclass!
#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/j5J1c0YtKH
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 12, 2025
Threats
Their pace battery, featuring Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel Ahmed, looks strong, with both having impactful campaigns in IPL 2024. However, they might be prone to leaking runs this season. Pathirana conceded 178 runs in six matches while taking only three wickets during SA20 2025.
Ellis has played five T20Is in India, averaging almost 30 with an economy rate approaching 10. He played just one match last season. They could turn to Jamie Overton, Kamboj, or even Kamlesh Nagarkoti if needed, but while depth isn’t an issue, consistency might be.
Ruturaj’s uncertainty in high-pressure situations last season is another concern. Furthermore, the lack of a strong backup finisher could also be a threat for CSK’s title hopes.
Final Conclusion
CSK have a strong batting and bowling unit on paper, and if their first XI remains fit and consistent, they might have an outside chance of making the top four. They will likely factor in their pattern of winning every alternate year, but a lot will depend on Ruturaj’s development as a leader.
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