IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings's All-Time IPL XI

Chennai Super Kings are making a comeback into the Indian Premier League after a gap of two years and the fans of the team can't wait to see their men back in action. MS Dhoni or Thala, as he is fondly called in this part of the country, will be donning the yellow jersey after a gap of three years.

The Chennai franchise is the most successful franchise in terms of reaching the playoffs as the team has reached eight Playoffs and six Finals in eight seasons. They are the most popular franchise in the league and it is only natural to have a look at the best players who have played for this franchise

Openers: Mathew Hayden & Murali Vijay

Vijay and Hayden's opening combination was a huge boost for the Chennai side

Murali Vijay made his debut for the Chennai Super Kings in 2009 which was also his maiden season in the IPL. He only got a couple of chances in those matches which didn't allow him to display his full potential.

2010 was the breakthrough year for Vijay as he scored 458 runs in 15 matches at an average of 35. He continued his golden run in 2011 as well, as he scored 434 runs. In 2012, he became the first Indian to score two centuries in the IPL. He was instrumental in CSK winning the title in 2010 and 2011.

Mathew Hayden became a household name in Chennai thanks to his exploits with Chennai Super Kings. The Australian batsman was the most dominant opener in IPL in the years he played for the franchise.

He was the trump player for the Chennai side when the team won its first title in 2010. His performance for CSK earned him the love of the cricket loving public of Chennai. He is often seen in Chennai in a 'Veshti' during the TNPL season.

Middle Order: Suresh Raina, Subramanian Badrinath & MS Dhoni

Badrinath is probably the most underrated player of CSK

Suresh Raina is one player who has been a part of the Chennai team right from their first ever game. He is the only player who hasn't missed a single game for the franchise and has an extremely impressive record in the IPL.

Raina can be considered as the legend of the tournament as he has scored 4540 runs in 161 matches at a brilliant average of 34. He is the only player to score more than 350 runs in all the 10 seasons.

On the other hand, Subramaniam Badrinath is one of the most underrated players in the IPL. He was the wall of the IPL winning Chennai side of 2010 and 2011. He was asked to firefight for the team on difficult wickets while he was dropped down the order on flat batting tracks. He is a definite pick in the all-time CSK side.

MS Dhoni is a name which has become synonymous with Chennai. He was the captain of the Chennai Super Kings since the first season and he has once again been made the captain for the 2018 season. His inclusion in the all-time CSK side is not a debatable topic.

All-Rounders: Dwayne Bravo & Albie Morkel

Bravo is the most valuable player for the Chennai side

Dwayne Bravo played his first season for the Chennai Super Kings in 2011. He didn't have a great first year personally but was nevertheless a part of the championship-winning side in his very first year.

Bravo's performance from 2012 has been phenomenal for the Chennai side. He won the Purple cap in 2013 and 2015 and performed an important role of bowling in the death overs, something which CSK lacked in the first couple of seasons.

Bravo's performance with the bat has been pretty good too. He performed the role of a finisher along with Dhoni and his strike rate of 126 is an indication that he has been successful in that role as well.

Albie Morkel was one of the most important lynchpins of the team when CSK won two IPL titles in consecutive years. He performed a role which was pretty similar to Bravo. He bowled in the middle overs and in the death overs when required and performed the role of a finisher while batting.

Spinners: Ravindra Jadeja & Ravichandran Ashwin

The spin duo continued their successful combination in the Indian team as well

Ravindra Jadeja played his first season for Chennai in 2012 season but hasn't won a single IPL trophy with them. However, his performance has been splendid and this is the reason as to why he has been retained by the team management ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Jadeja is an important part of the Chennai side as the pitch in Chepauk is extremely helpful to his style of bowling and it has helped him perform pretty well for the team. His big-hitting ability in the end overs also helps the team in getting those extra 10-15 runs, which often makes the difference between winning and losing.

Ravichandran Ashwin's career is attached to Chennai and the Chennai Super Kings in more ways than one. He made his way into the Indian team on the back of his successful run with CSK.

He was the most important bowler of the side when Chennai won its first ever IPL title in 2010 and he almost single-handedly won the Chennai side its second title in 2011.

Pace Bowlers: Laxmipathy Balaji & Doug Bollinger

Balaji's performance for the Chennai team is often overshadowed by other bowlers

Laxmipathy Balaji is probably the most successful Indian bowler that Chennai has had over the years. He played for three years in Chennai and was an impactful bower for the team as he scalped 31 wickets in 29 matches at a brilliant strike rate of 18.

Balaji was a great swinger of the ball and he earned his return to the Indian team on the back of his impressive performance for the Chennai side. He will return to Chennai this year as the bowling coach.

Bollinger was the main strike bowler of the Chennai Super Kings when the team won the title in 2010 and 2011. He bowled in the powerplay and in the death overs and was extremely successful in picking wickets for the team.

The Aussie pacer was probably the most successful fast bowler that the Chennai side ever had. He picked 37 wickets in 27 matches at a brilliant strike rate of 16.