IPL 2019: Best Chennai Super Kings top 6 from the list of retained players

He might have lots of grey hair, but each of them is worth his years on the field

Middle Order: MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Faf Du Plessis

MS Dhoni may not have played consistently at the No 4 spot for CSK in IPL 2018, but the wicketkeeper-batsman is certainly suited for the middle order slot. With age taking its toll, Dhoni has been characterised off lately by taking too much time to settle down, something he will get plenty of in this number 4 slot. The man still has lots left in his tank as he displayed last season with a mammoth strike rate north of 150, something he never achieved in IPL history.

Kedar Jadhav can prove to be the ideal number five for CSK, a role that was fluctuating drastically in the last season. His record speaks for himself: a strike rate of 140+ in 2017. However, the right-hander has been marred by injuries in almost every IPL as far as the mind goes. This is why he only got 1 game in IPL 2018 before his exit. Nevertheless, Jadhav has shown in the blues his ability to play aggressive or defensive cricket and coupled with his out-of-the-world bowling, he sure makes an ideal all rounder at number 5.

Faf du Plessis comes in at number 6 as a finisher down the order. CSK hasn't experimented with Du Plessis as a finisher, but rather kept him hopping around the top order. The problem with the South African is that while he may have an IPL career average of 30+, his strike rate only meanders at 129.69.

This isn't Faf du Plessis being utilised at his best. What is known are his big hitting capabilities, and possibly, the pressure of being a number 6 would free him from a conservative mindset and allow him to have a go.