IPL: 3 cricketers India have to thank CSK for

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are one of the best-managed franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Although CSK players are generally known for their experience and cricket IQ, various young players have been picked up smartly in the auction and have made their presence in the IPL felt.

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CSK's IPL players who went on to make a mark for India

Captained by the astute MS Dhoni, CSK have overseen the rise of Indian talents in all departments.

With the skipper's influence on the national team selection very evident, players of the likes of Deepak Chahar (he first played for the Rising Pune Supergiant) and Sudeep Tyagi have gone on to represent the Men in Blue at the behest of MS Dhoni.

In this article, we take a look at 3 Indian cricketers who were groomed by CSK for international duties.

Honourable Mentions: Mohit Sharma and Subramaniam Badrinath

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#3 Murali Vijay

Murali Vijay is one of the most elegant batsmen India have ever seen

Murali Vijay is one of the classiest batsmen to have ever played the game and he got his big break for India after excelling for CSK in the IPL.

Immediately after the inaugural IPL season in which Vijay didn't take part, the opener made his India Test debut owing to a couple of excellent Ranji Trophy seasons. But it was after a breakthrough IPL season in 2010 that the Tamil Nadu batsman truly announced his arrival in the limited-overs formats.

Over the course of 3 IPL seasons as a regular part of the XI at CSK, Vijay amassed over 1,000 runs with a sparkling 127 against the Rajasthan Royals being the highlight.

The elegant right-hander's technical prowess was evident right from the outset and Vijay soon became a regular feature in the Indian Test side, playing crucial knocks in difficult conditions in England and Australia.

Although his Indian ODI and T20I careers didn't take off, Vijay is one of the best Test openers India have ever produced and much of the credit has to go to CSK.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin is one of the best Test bowlers India has ever seen

Another hometown lad who joined CSK, Ravichandran Ashwin has become a staple of the Indian Test side, especially in favourable home conditions. Part of the IPL franchise for 8 seasons, the off-spinner picked up 90 wickets at an excellent T20 economy rate of 6.46.

After picking up 33 wickets over the course of the 2010 and 2011 IPL seasons, Ashwin made his ODI and Test debuts in those years respectively. With the best captain and wicket-keeper to spinners you could possibly have, the Tamil Nadu bowler flourished under MS Dhoni both for CSK and the Indian team.

In 70 Tests, Ashwin has taken 362 wickets and held the #1 position in the ICC Test bowling rankings for an extended period. Although his performances overseas have left a lot to be desired and he does not feature in the limited-overs setups anymore, Ashwin is definitely one of the most versatile spinners India have ever seen.

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#1 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja was retained by CSK ahead of Ashwin in the 2018 IPL

Although Ravindra Jadeja did make his India debut after playing for the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals in the first edition of the IPL, he truly achieved his potential under the tutelage of MS Dhoni at CSK.

The all-rounder is dynamic with the bat, electric in the field, and incredibly accurate with the ball - traits that make him a useful cricketer in any format of the game. But Jadeja elevated his game to such an extent after playing for CSK in the IPL that he has become a regular in all three formats and undoubtedly one of the greatest all-rounders India has ever seen.

Jadeja's batting has become especially potent over the past few years, with a major criticism levelled at him in the early stages of his career - his poor strike rate - now overcome. The 'rockstar', as Warne labelled him, has scored over 4,000 runs and picked up over 400 wickets in ODIs and Tests combined.

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