IPL 2018: CSK post cryptic tweet hinting at retained players

The wait is finally over for Chennai Super Kings fans. The question of the players CSK will retain was cryptically answered in a creative fashion by the official Twitter handle of the team. They posted a picture that read "Madras is 378 so are we". An indication of not just the fact that Madras is 378 years old but also a cryptic announcement of the players they will be retaining for IPL 2018.

Ahead of the official player retention list announcement later in the day, the tweet suggests that Suresh Raina wore the jersey number 3 while MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, who wore No.7 and No.8 will be the three players who are retained by the franchise ahead of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League.

So are we! ??#WhistlePodu #SummerIsComing pic.twitter.com/9BoYuIDNxu

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 4, 2018

CSK are returning after a two-year suspension and will want to keep the core members that made them the most successful IPL team before Mumbai India's third IPL title, in 2017.

Suresh Raina is CSK's most capped player, having represented them in 156 matches. He is also their leading run-getter thanks to his tally of 4,541 runs at an average of almost 35 and strike rate in excess of 140. He scored two centuries and 30 fifties, claiming an incredible 17 MoM awards before moving to Gujarat Lions.

MS Dhoni was CSK's captain and helped them win two IPL titles and Champions League T20 titles. In 153 matches for the team, he scored 3,435 runs at an average of 37.7 and a strike rate of almost 140. He also managed 16 fifties with a highest score of 70*.

Ravindra Jadeja became one of the most expensive buys when CSK snapped him up for a whopping $2 million ahead of IPL 2012. Since then, he represented the side in 84 matches, scoring 826 runs at an average of 21 and a strike of over 130 and picked up 64 wickets at an average of 27 and economy rate of just over 8.