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Chennai Super Kings made a golden comeback last season and claimed their third IPL title. Due to their successful campaign, they retained almost their entire squad. The only three players to be shown the door were Mark Wood, Kanishk Seth, and Kshitiz Sharma. They were later replaced by Mohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad during the IPL Auctions.
The IPL 2019 season is set to begin on March 23 this season. the fans and followers are eagerly waiting to know which players would make in the team's playing XI and who will be seen warming benches.
In a bid to intensify these thoughts, we'll try to have a look at what should be Chennai Super Kings' ideal playing XI for the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League.
Openers
#1 Shane Watson
The flamboyant Australian all-rounder is among the most destructive T20 players and had a flawless season in 2018. Shane Watson was in exceptional form during IPL 2018 as he amassed 555 runs in 15 outings at an impressive strike-rate of 154.59 to occupy the fifth spot in seasons leading run scorers list.
The right-handed batsman has been in good touch since then and is playing a vital role for his team Sydney Thunder in Big Bash League 2018/19. He will once again be seen playing a crucial role in CSK's title defense and will be an ideal player to open the batting for the team.
#2 Ambati Rayudu
The 2018 IPL season witnessed an opening batsman in Ambati Rayudu. The right-hander, who is considered to be a regular middle order player, surprised the cricket pundits by scoring 602 runs in his 16 outings at an average of 43 and strike rate of 149.75. His promotion as an opener created a resounding impact on Chennai's campaign and is likely to continue with the same enthusiasm in the upcoming season as well.
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Middle-order
#3 Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina is one of those players who has been part of the Chennai franchise right from the inaugural season. The left-hander has been their ideal number three batsman on most occasions and has been the most consistent run scorer for the team.
After leading Gujarat Lions in two seasons, Raina was named the vice-captain of the CSK franchise last season and an additional burden seemed to have no effect on his performance. The left-hander amassed 445 runs during 2018 season at an average of 37.08 and looks set to provide a similar impact this season as well.
#4 Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis has been a regular member of CSK since his IPL debut in 2012 and was claimed back by the franchise at a bargain price through the Right to Match card.
Faf made his presence count with a significant impact on CSK's road to the final. His key performance came during the first qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he scored unbeaten 67 to guide his team to the final. He is an ideal middle-order batsman for Chennai Super Kings.
#5 MS Dhoni (Captain & Wicket-keeper)
An ideal captain and a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman, MS Dhoni can play both these roles effectively. In 2018, Dhoni led CSK to their third IPL title. The swashbuckling leader is known for giving 100 percent to all departments of the game, whether it's captaincy, batting or wicket-keeping.
The skipper had a tremendous season last time, scoring 455 runs in just nine innings at an extraordinary T20 average of 75.83. He also made 14 dismissals behind the stumps including 11 catches and three stumpings. Dhoni will be eyeing another memorable IPL season in 2019.
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All-rounders
#6 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav can score handy runs in the latter stages of the innings and bowl effectively in the middle overs. The all-rounder played just one fixture for CSK last season and scored a match-winning cameo before being ruled out of remaining season due to a hamstring injury.
In his overall IPL career, Jadhav has scored 917 runs at a decent strike rate of 134.02. He has never been considered for bowling in the past. But after his recent success with the ball in international cricket and CSK's preference for two spinners in the playing XI, the off-spinner is likely to deliver plenty of overs in the 2019 season.
#7 Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo is one of the best T20 all-rounders of our times. He is the perfect T20 entertainer who possesses both big hitting and death bowling skills.
The all-rounder was an integral part of CSK's playing XI last year and featured in all 16 matches. He was among the leading wicket-takers for Chennai during IPL 2018 with 14 wickets and also scored 141 runs in six innings at an average of 35.25 and strike-rate of 154.94.
Bravo is expected to play a crucial role in Chennai's title defense during the 2019 season.
#8 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja comes in with an all-around T20 package. He can take key wickets as well as hammer the ball into the crowd. The all-rounder featured in all 16 fixtures in 2018, where he scored 105 runs in his five innings at a strike rate of 120.27. He also picked up eleven wickets at an economy-rate of 7.39.
Jadeja has usually been a first choice all-rounder for CSK and his presence in the playing XI has rarely been challenged. This is evident by the fact that he has been part of Chennai's playing XI on 86 occasions out of 87 matches since 2012. One can expect him to add many more to that tally in 2019.
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Bowlers
#9 Deepak Chahar
After warming the benches for Rising Pune Supergiants in the previous seasons, Deepak Chahar made his debut for CSK in 2018. The medium pacer didn't let that golden chance slip from his hands and picked 10 wickets in his 12 games.
Chahar also displayed his big-hitting skills during a group game against KXIP when he smashed a match-turning 39 runs from just 20 balls. He is likely to get the nod to play for CSK right from the beginning. If he can replicate his success from 2018, it'll be a certain plus for CSK's title defense.
#10 Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma played for CSK for quite a few seasons before moving to Kings XI Punjab in 2016. The Haryana pacer is set to make a comeback for Chennai in IPL 2019 and can be seen sharing the new ball with Chahar.
Mohit was bought by CSK for INR 5 crores during the 2019 IPL auction. The seamer had an average season with KXIP as he picked up just seven wickets in his ten outings. But considering his overall record (90 wickets in 84 games), he can again become a reliable operator for Chennai.
#11 Lungi Ngidi
Last but not the least, Lungi Ngidi provides the perfect international pace blend to strengthen the Chennai Super Kings bowling setup. The South African can consistently bowl in excess of 140 kph and holds a perfect grip on its seam.
The express pacer played just seven games for CSK last season, but those matches were enough to make his presence felt. Ngidi picked 11 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.0 after bowling a lot of overs at the death. His height and pace make him an ideal pacer for CSK's lineup.
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