IPL 2018: All you need to know about the CSK squad

2018 edition of the IPL will see old guards take center-stage as two-time champions and one of the most consistent teams in IPL history return to the fold after a two-year sabbatical.

On expected grounds, MS Dhoni will return to the Chepauk much to the delight of the fans who regard the former Indian skipper as their "thalaiva" which roughly translates as the King, a title that is bestowed upon Rajnikanth, the biggest superstar in South India, for that matter across the country.

Chennai has been one of the most prolific sides in IPL history having won the title on two occasions in 2010 and 2011 besides making it to the top four in every season. Chennai’s inclusion in IPL 2018 will certainly add intrigue to the tournament, as it would mean the resumption of classic rivalries between the men in yellow and teams such as Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Rajasthan Royals.

For starters, here's the full CSK squad for IPL 2018:

MS Dhoni (C & WK), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Kedar Jhadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N. Jagadeesan, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungisani Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi.

Now let us dive into the minute sub-plots that Chennai Super Kings squad has to offer for IPL 2018:

#1 Retained Players

MS Dhoni returns to his den

As expected, MS Dhoni was the first player retained by the CSK management and he’ll be the de-facto leader of a side that he has led with panache for eight years. Alongside Dhoni, CSK decided to retain the core group of the franchise with the likes of Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja coming back to the ‘Whistle Podu’ gang.

#2 RTM Cards

The South African skipper returns to CSK

While several players were taken by the Right to Match (RTM) cards, CSK did not use the RTM for Ravichandran Ashwin and he was bought by Kings XI Punjab for Rs. 7.6 crore. Instead, they retained Faf du Plessis who had been snapped by KXIP for Rs 1.6 crore by using the RTM. Dwayne Bravo would also be joining his old teammates after he was retained by the CSK using the RTM for Rs 6.40 crore.

#3 Batting

Raina has been a cornerstone of CSK's success over the years.

CSK has always been blessed with an astounding batting line-up at the helm of which, is Suresh Raina. One of the most prolific run-scorer and also the highest run-getter in IPL history, Raina has accumulated 4540 runs at a strike rate of 139.05 across 10 seasons. Raina would be joined by Murali Vijay and Shane Watson at the top order.

Vijay returns home

Vijay, who returns to CSK after a hiatus missed the last season due to injury (but accumulated 450 runs in 14 matches for the Kings XI Punjab in 2016) while Shane Watson would be looking to make amends after an indifferent IPL season last year that saw him make 70 runs and pick just five wickets for RCB.

While Watson and Vijay will start as openers, English opener Sam Billings can be slated as a backup in case either of Watson and Vijay hit a rough patch. In terms of uncapped players, Delhi batsman Dhruv Shorey would be another player to watch out for. Shorey who averages over 55 in 18 First Class matches, shone into the limelight when he scored a pristine hundred in Ranji Trophy Finals 2017/18 against the eventual champions Vidarbha.

The middle order boasts of seasoned campaigners in du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, and Kedar Jadhav. While du Plessis has been a veteran for the CSK over the years, Ambati Rayudu brings in a plethora of experience with him. Having played for Mumbai Indians for a better part of 10 years, Rayudu was one of the cornerstones of Mumbai Indians batting over the years, having accumulated 2416 runs from 114 matches.

The IPL will be crucial for Jadhav

While Rayudu will bring his years of experience, Kedar Jadhav would be looking for a prime season with the bat in a bid to stake his claim back to the Indian squad. However, with only Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo and MS Dhoni as power hitters down the order and at the time where Dhoni’s power hitting is in a decline, the team falls a bit short in terms of a power hitter and the onus would be on Bravo and Jadeja to power his team at the backend of the innings.

#4 Bowling

The cricketer with child-like exuberance and passion- Imran Tahir

It almost compliments MS Dhoni’s style of captaincy that the CSK team management has gone on with multiple spin bowling options. CSK has racked up Imran Tahir (47 wickets in 32 IPL matches), who has been pretty successful in the IPL and would unquestionably be an asset for the team.

Joining Tahir is the off-spinner in Harbhajan Singh. Bhajji, who is one of three players to sworn allegiance to one IPL franchise for 10 years, will bring a plethora of experience with him to CSK.

CSK will miss the services of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner who has been ruled out due to an injury and will be out of action for 7-8 months. In the wake of the incident, CSK will have to choose a replacement for the left arm orthodox Kiwi.

Lungi Ngidi has had an impressive start to his career.

While their spin-department is overloaded with quality and experience, it is exactly the opposite when it comes to their fast bowling stocks. With a dearth of proven match winners, Lungisani Ngidi and Shardul Thakur will be the torch-bearers of the attack along with English seamer Mark Wood.

CSK would be hoping for uncapped bowler Deepak Chahar to come good in the tournament especially after a fruitful Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament where the bowler bagged 19 wickets in 9 games and played a key role in Rajasthan making it to the finals.

Santer's injury may also prove to be a blessing for CSK as they can now add another overseas fast bowler to their bowling squad.

#5 All-rounders

The vile all-rounder comes to CSK

While their fast bowling stocks may be thin on experience, CSK would like to bridge that gap with the help of two of the best all-rounders in white ball cricket- Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson. Bravo has been one of the stalwarts for the CSK over the years with his immaculate bowling and power-hitting blitz down the order.

Bravo has been a great asset for CSK over the years

In a glittering IPL career thus far, Bravo has amassed 1238 runs along with 122 wickets and the franchise would be hoping that the West Indian weaves his magic yet again at the Chepauk this season. Watson, in his prime, used to bat and bowl with equal efficiency and if Watson the all-rounder clicks, a substantial chunk of CSK’s problem will be neutralized.

Another all-rounder that has been part of successful Chennai set-up is Ravindra Jadeja. Though Jadeja hasn’t been in the best of bowling form, his batting form has been quite good in the recently concluded domestic tournaments and his blitz down the order might just make things a lot easier for the two-time champions.