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The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were undoubtedly one of the winners of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Tuesday, December 19. Chuffed after getting most of their prime targets, the team representatives expressed optimism for the new season.
CSK signed Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman and Aravelly Avanish Rao at the IPL 2024 auction. Most of these players have genuine cases to be part of the playing XII during the upcoming season, and there's healthy competition for spots.
CSK's squad after the IPL 2024 auction: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki, Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Aravelly Avanish Rao.
Here is CSK's strongest playing XI, along with their impact player candidates, after the IPL 2024 auction.
Openers: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad
CSK's opening combination isn't likely to change during IPL 2024. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have formed one of the most fruitful partnerships over the last two seasons, and the duo should take first guard once again.
Rachin Ravindra could serve as Conway's backup, with the Kiwi southpaws being similar players who are good against both pace and spin.
Middle Order: Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk)
Ajinkya Rahane was one of the surprise packages of IPL 2023, with his astonishing pace hitting headlining a title-winning campaign for the Men in Yellow. The experienced batter will be expected to play a similar role this time around.
Shivam Dube will take on the same responsibilities as Rahane, but against spinners. The tall southpaw is one of the best in the business when it comes to attacking slower bowlers.
Sameer Rizvi was a big-ticket buy at the IPL 2024 auction, with the youngster having the ability to attack spin. While there is every chance of him making appearances as an impact player, he might not upstage the likes of Rahane and Dube to start the campaign despite his price tag.
Moeen Ali hasn't been in excellent form of late. While he still remains a valuable asset, especially against leftie-dominant outfits on turning tracks, Daryl Mitchell should replace him in the side for the most part. This will be a situation-dependent call from CSK, who have plenty of options to choose from.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja will round off the lower-middle order. It isn't ideal to have them batting at No. 6 and No. 7, given their limited skills as of today, and the Super Kings might have to use either Rizvi or Shaik Rasheed in the XI while batting first.
Lower Order: Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana
Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur are two players who have been synonymous with CSK over the years, and they should slot into the side. Offering wicket-taking skills and lower-order batting ability, the duo will give the Super Kings the exact profile they have desired over the years.
Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana, CSK's Sri Lankan bowling duo, have become two of the franchise's most important players. While Theekshana's place in the side has often been under threat from Mitchell Santner, the Kiwi left-arm spinner doesn't offer the all-phase prowess that his teammate does.
So Theekshana should be a fixture in the side, as the only bowler who can turn the ball away from left-handers if Moeen doesn't play.
Mustafizur Rahman should be Pathirana's backup. Tushar Deshpande has made significant improvements to his game, but Thakur's signing has reduced his chances of being one of CSK's frontline seamers.
Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh haven't played much competitive cricket at the IPL level lately and could warm the bench. Rajvardhan Hangargekar is another fast bowler who might struggle to break into the team during IPL 2024.
CSK's strongest playing XI after IPL 2024 auction: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana.
CSK's impact player candidates after IPL 2024 auction: Sameer Rizvi (frontrunner), Mukesh Choudhary, Nishant Sindhu, Tushar Deshpande, Shaik Rasheed.
