IPL 2019: CSK retain their core players, continue with tournament-winning squad

With IPL 2019 making all the buzz lately, the defending champions Chennai Super Kings have made the headlines by retaining a majority of their star players.

Having won the title three times - in 2010, 2011 and 2018 - MS Dhoni and his boys will be looking to continue their dominant run in the upcoming season, which will mark the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League.

After serving a two-year ban, the Dhoni-led team struck hard and won the 2018 tournament by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. And while most of the other teams have made major changes in the lead-up to the December auction, the reigning champions have released just three players so far – Kanishk Seth, Mark Wood and Kshitiz Sharma.

Well-known known for their consistency and their huge fan following, it was important for Chennai Super Kings to enter the upcoming IPL season with their match-winning squad intact. With the likes of experienced players like Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, this team is ready to hunt.

Setting a perfect team combination and delivering steadily is one thing CSK is very good at.

Why CSK are likely to have an upper hand in 2019

Both Kedhar Jadhav and David Willey (who got a place in the team as a replacement for Kedhar Jadhav due to injury) are expected to play key roles this season. Though a few of the overseas players like Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi are likely to leave early to prepare for the 2019 World Cup, CSK fans would not be too worried as they can always count on their local boys.

Moreover, the presence of Shane Watson and Dwyane Bravo is more than enough to do the damage with both bat and ball. Though Sam Billings had a forgettable season last year (he scored just 108 runs from 10 matches), the talented batsman is expected to hit hard this time.

Three out of the five centuries in IPL 2018 came from CSK players (Shane Watson - 106, 117* and Ambati Rayudu - 100*). With this kind of a batting line up, they are likely to have an upper hand over the other teams.

Will the Chennai Super Kings roar again?

Having Captain Cool Dhoni in their side is another reason why CSK are one of the top teams in the IPL. In fact, Dhoni is the only captain in the history of the tournament who still captains the same team which he led in 2008.

Having won the Fair Play award six times, CSK never fail to impress their fans. They have let go of only three players and have made some room to add a couple of good players ahead of the IPL auctions.

Coached by Stephen Fleming and led by MS Dhoni, CSK are sure to impress the critics and fans alike in the upcoming season.