CSK were clear with their plans and had no double thoughts while acquiring both players.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn’t make too many changes and went for several previous players in their lineup in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. They had a clear strategy of retaining the core players and did a decent job in that direction.
Among them are Kiwi players, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, who were with CSK in the previous cycle. Conway didn’t feature in the last edition due to an injury but was with them for the whole cycle, whereas Rachin joined the Yellow Army in 2024.
In the mega auction, CSK spent INR 6.25 crore for Conway and INR 4 crore for Ravindra. It shows how highly the team management rates them. They were clear with their plans and had no double thoughts while acquiring both players.
Chennai Super Kings have two solid New Zealanders before IPL 2025, but the team selection will be slightly arduous. Conway and Ravindra are similar players whose best position is at the top while opening the innings.
Further, both are left-handed naturally gifted batters who are highly consistent with the willow. They both have a solid pace and spin game and know how to weave big knocks, a feature that prompted CSK to buy them in the auction.
While CSK can play both in the XI, the best way to use them is as an opener, but they have only one slot at the top, with Ruturaj Gaikwad taking the other one.
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Devon Conway is among the most consistent run-getters across formats and has done the same for CSK in IPL. In the two seasons he played in the previous cycle, Conway had 924 runs at an average of 48.63 and a 141.28 strike rate in 22 innings.
Further, he also has nine fifties, with the best of 92*. The highlight was his expertise vs spin, as the southpaw averaged a whopping 58.14 and struck at 147.46 against them.
On Chennai decks, he was mighty effective and played a significant role in taking them to the title in the 2023 edition. Conway did his part precisely and formed a lethal partnership with Gaikwad, filling Faf du Plessis’ position.
Despite all the talent, Rachin Ravindra hasn’t cracked the T20 code yet. Even in his maiden IPL season, he could only assemble 222 runs at an average of 22.20 and a strike rate of 160.86 in ten outings.
Barring one fifty, Rachin was mediocre overall and never looked to be in a position to score. However, he is one of the finest young talents and is bound to find the same fluency in the shortest format.
He has a natural bat swing and is equally potent against pace and spin, which has been visible every time he played in an ODI. The decks are mostly flat in IPL, so Rachin, who likes playing on the up, will get value for his shots and can thrive for the Yellow Army.
Now the question is whom should CSK select for the initial part of IPL 2025 and slot him at the top with Gaikwad. While both players are highly skilled, the five-time champions might be tempted to start with Conway, who has performed better for the franchise in two seasons.
He can be the aggressor while playing with Gaikwad and utilise the powerplay overs to allow his partner to bat deep. Conway understands his role better than Rachin and might get the nod ahead.
That doesn’t end the road for Ravindra, a long-term investment for CSK and will surely get chances at regular intervals. Given his high potential, keeping Ravindra out of the action for too long won’t be easy for the Yellow Army and they won’t mind having this selection headache in IPL 2025.
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