IPL 2018: Rating the Chennai Super Kings squad ahead of the final

If you would have told anyone that Chennai Super Kings would be making the final of the IPL 2018, most of them might have believed you. This is simply because of the fact that CSK had made it a habit to reach the finals, more than the quality of the squad at their disposal.

After the auction, it was understandable that some hard-core CSK fans were unhappy with the strategy since Flemming and Co and returned with an ageing squad consisting of players who were slightly past their prime thereby leaving the team with not a lot of young blood.

It was the same CSK people fondly remembered - Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Raina, Jadeja and Bravo - along with reinforcements like Shane Watson and Harbhajan Singh. A team that could have dominated the tournament four years ago had been assembled and thrust into the modern age.

However, CSK have clearly outdone everyone's expectations and the very players who were thought to be its rotting backbone have become the pillars of its salvation. On that note, here's a look at how each of its squad members has gone about their business in the tournament:

(For the sake of clarity, we will be considering only players who have played more than 3 matches.)

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#1 MS Dhoni - 9.0

MS Dhoni is back to being his brutal best

As cliched as it sounds, MS Dhoni aged like fine wine.

In what is his ninth season in charge of the Chennai outfit, MS Dhoni has gone above and beyond to prove that he is nowhere near the end of his playing days. With just one final game left to go, this IPL is statistically his second-best tournament - recording 455 runs in 15 matches at an average of 75.83 and a strike rate of 150+ to go with it.

Not only has his batting come to the forefront at his new look atNo.4 slot, but his captaincy is better than ever - and that is not an easy task when you are Dhoni. His golden touch, which many considered to have waned, has returned to its full glory and everything he laid his hands on turned to solid gold for the Super Kings.

Irrespective of CSK's final spot by the tournament or not, Dhoni should walk into the team of the season - and for the first time in forever, he can make it purely on the aspect of his batting alone.

#2 Sam Billings - 5.5

Sam Billings has failed to deliver after a bright start

The Englishman has not exactly set the stage on fire after scoring a 50 in his first match against the Kolkatta Knight Riders.

His weakness to playing spin has been the cause of his downfall, as he has failed to move into double figures in six of the eight innings he has batted in. Roped in to save the middle order in the absence of Kedhar Jadhav after his injury, Billings has mostly disappointed.

With Faf du Plessis coming to form in the Qualifier, the right-hander will mostly spend the final on the bench and will not have much to complain against.

#3 Dwayne Bravo - 6.0

Dwayne Bravo has largely been erratic this time around

Dwayne Bravo has had a topsy-turvy season with both bat and ball for the Super Kings but has been let off owing to the results coming in their favour.

141 runs in 10 innings, at an average of 35.25 and a strike rate of close to 155 is far away from being extraordinary, but Bravo has never been in the team for his batting. It is those slow balls at the death that have led to him being a staple in the squad.

However, his bowling too has been far from satisfactory. 13 wickets in 15 innings, at an economy of 9.83 is not good enough. However, he single-handedly won the first match against the Mumbai Indians, and for that, the whole of CSK fan base will be indebted to him.

#4 Deepak Chahar - 7.0

Deepak Chahar has been the surprise package for CSK in the bowling department

One of the emerging players of this tournament, Deepak Chahar has turned out to be one of the surprise packages.

Whether he would have become a mainstay in the team had Chennai been allowed to play their home matches at Chepauk is debatable. But under the circumstances, the youngster has risen to the occasion rather splendidly.

10 wickets in 11 matches, at an economy of 7.40 in his first full season in the IPL is a tremendous achievement - doubly so while considering how leaky the rest of his teammates have been.

He is also useful with the bat, as evidenced by his 50 runs in four matches - including a quick-fire 39 against the Kings XI Punjab in the final match of the group stage.

#5 Faf Du Plessis - 7.0

Classy and calm, Faf du Plessis was the wall SRH could not break

Faf du Plessis might not have played a lot of games for CSK this season, but boy has he been impactful!

Having reached double figures in all the five matches he has played this season, Du Plessis was the architect of CSK's nail-biting win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the qualifiers. Not many batsmen have the audacity to hit a six off the first ball of the last over, bowled by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and only two wickets in hand.

His 152 runs have come at a strike rate of close to 130, but who really cares? Hewill surely be part of the team when they play the final, and he will be hoping for a repeat of his heroics, with less collapsing around him this time around.

#6 Harbhajan Singh - 5.0

With age not on his side, Bhajji has had a lukewarm tournament

Nearing 38, Bhajji was never expected to play a full-time role in the team, but he has managed to play 13 games this season.

Although his contribution to the team in batting and bowling has been restricted, Dhoni still trusts him to be part of the squad. His bowling, when utilised, has been slightly on the expensive side - an economy of close to 8.5, resulting in seven wickets from 12 innings.

The Punjab-born spinner also didn't get a chance to bowl against SRH, begging the question - will Dhoni opt for a younger fielder for the final if he doesn't require the bowling assets of Bhajji?

#7 Imran Tahir - 6.0

The South African was roped in with the idea of him playing an important role at the Chepauk, but fate hasn't been very kind to him.

He has nabbed six wickets in the six games he has played, at an economy rate of 9.09 but has been left out of the team in favour of fast bowling options and him costing a foreigner slot in the starting XI.

#8 Ravindra Jadeja - 6.5

Jadeja has come into his own during the very end of the IPL

After mind-numbingly poor first three-quarters of the season, Sir Jadeja has come into his own element towards the end.

This season, Jadeja was neither stellar with the ball nor the bat but somehow played 15 games for the lack of suitable replacements and the sheer trust Dhoni has on him. Now, he has been more useful with the ball than with the bat - 10 wickets at an economy of 7.15, with most of his wickets coming in the second half of the tournament.

Despite all that, Jadeja has been on a steady decline over the years and CSK will have to either phase him out in the future or have a decent back-up for him.

#9 Lungi Ngidi - 8.5

Chennai will be wise to hold on to Ngidi for a long time

The star of the CSK bowling show, the South African has made heads turn in his debut season in the IPL. Despite playing only six matches, he has picked up 10 wickets - at a shocking economy of 5.9 and an average of 13.00.

Ngidi looks every bit of the star for the future, and he can become the core around which CSK construct their bowling unit. If he can keep his pace and length, Ngidi has all the potential to become one of the best in the world, and work out wonders as for the Super Kings.

#10 Suresh Raina - 7.0

A season where the runs have come, but the familiar fear has gone

Yet another 400+ run season for the Southpaw, but Raina has not been the epitome of consistency he has been in the past for CSK.

At 32, age has caught up with him and it shows in his batting. His weakness against the short ball is still exploited by the bowlers, and he still has the habit of falling into the familiar trap of the pull short.

However, what matters are the runs - and he has scored 413 of them in 14 innings, at an average of 38 and strike rate of 130. There is something missing though - an oomph factor that he carried in the previous seasons, a sense of confidence he had around him every time he walked out to bat.

#11 Ambati Rayudu - 9.5

Chennai's standout player of the tournament

Undeniably CSK's player of the season, Rayudu has been the primary reason for Chennai's smooth journey into the finals.

Not only destructive but also consistent, Rayudu is their leading run-scorer of the tournament - 586 runs in 15 games, at a strike rate of 150+ and a healthy average of 41.85. His splendid season meant that Murali Vijay had to be relegated to a secondary role, but nobody will be complaining about it now.

Rayudu is fourth on the list in the chase for the orange cap and has been the Super Kings' go-to guy for runs. If only Mumbai had held on to him, they might still be in the hunt for the cup. If only.

#12 Karn Sharma - 5.0

Yet another player who was bought with the conditions at Chepauk in mind, Karn Sharma has largely gone unnoticed during the course of the tournament.

Despite bowling only 39 balls in the five matches he has played for the Super Kings this season, he has taken three wickets and has given away 64 runs. CSK are likely to make better use of him when they return to the MA Chidambaram stadium.

#13 Shardul Thakur - 6.5

Thakur's mixed fortunes in the tournament have not made CSK pay too dearly

Shardul Thakur has been somewhat of an enigma during his time at CSK, as perfectly evidenced by his game against SRH. He gave away 50 runs in his four overs but contributed a valuable 15 with the bat that helped CSK over the finish line.

His 15 wickets in the tournament have come at a heavy price - an economy of 9.16 - and have been one of the reasons for Chennai's poor bowling record at the death. But as Dhoni mentioned after the game against Hyderabad:

This is the best combination that we have got. And right from the first game we've used different bowlers in different ways to find out who is the best bowler at the end. You have to keep shuffling them to see who can see a good job for me.

They will get hit at some point of time. These are the bowlers, and our bowlers, who were playing this game. They will have to step up in the final.

Here's to hoping Thakur steps up in the final. Or at the very least, repeats what he did in the qualifier.

#14 Shane Watson - 7.0

Watson has enjoyed something of a revival during this season

Shane Watson was yet another player who was considered way past his prime and was completely written off even before he faced his first ball in the yellow colours of the Super Kings. There are few things as sweet as redemption.

Watson went on to score 438 runs so far, and together with Rayudu, he was responsible for providing a solid foundation for Chennai's deep batting order to build on. Sure, he might get out in the powerplays during most of the matches but he can always be counted on to give a quick start at the top.

He has also contributed decently with the ball, rolling his arms over when called for. Six wickets in 14 games are more than good for an opener who only bowls occasionally.