Can Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overcome the injury and unavailability concerns in IPL 2024?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - Team Profile

Owners: India Cements Limited

Captain: MS Dhoni

Coach: Stephen Fleming

Previous edition: Winner

IPL Titles: 5 (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023)

The joint-most successful team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), are easily one of the most exciting teams in the competition. They had a fairytale season in 2023, winning their fifth title by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final. Their leader, MS Dhoni, is set to return in yellow jersey again, probably for one last time.

𝗖.𝗛.𝗔.𝗠.𝗣.𝗜.𝗢.𝗡.𝗦! 🏆

Chennai Super Kings Captain MS Dhoni receives the #TATAIPL Trophy from BCCI President Roger Binny and BCCI Honorary Secretary @JayShah 👏👏 #CSKvGT | #Final | @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/WP8f3a9mMc

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2023

Stephen Fleming, who has been with CSK for a number of years, will be at the helm of the coaching unit again. Last season, the Chennai-based franchise won eight out of 14 games and ended in the second position with 17 points (one game washed out). Later, the Yellow Army defeated Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and Final to cap off a remarkable campaign with the title.

CSK signed some exciting names in domestic and overseas sections in the IPL 2024 auction. The team has a nice blend of youth and veteran players. Some quality cricket will be on display every time CSK takes the field this edition.

Complete CSK Squad 2024:

MS Dhoni (c), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman (partially available), Avanish Rao Aravelly, Devon Conway (partially available)

CSK Team News 2024 (Injuries and replacements):

• Devon Conway underwent thumb surgery and won’t be available for at least the first half of IPL 2024. However, he might feature at the business end of the tournament.

• Shivam Dube might also miss a couple of games at the start due to a side strain. The all-rounder suffered the injury while playing in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy.

• Mustafizur Rahman, who was already unavailable for a full season, was taken off on a stretcher in the third ODI against Sri Lanka. Apparently, he has had cramps, but Mustafizur can also miss a few games.

• Matheesha Pathirana has a Grade 1 hamstring injury and didn’t feature in the last T20I against Bangladesh. He will take around weeks to recover and might be absent in the first two games.

Also Read: Three CSK players who are injured for the first IPL 2024 match against RCB

Probable CSK Playing XI for IPL 2024:

Strengths

• Chennai Super Kings have a nice blend of RHBs-LHBs throughout the batting order.

• In Shivam Dube and Daryl Mitchell, CSK have two terrific spin boundary-hitters in the middle order.

• CSK have a real depth in the batting order, with Deepak Chahar at No.10 in the strongest XI.

• CSK have quality and variety in the spin department.

• In Deepak Chahar, CSK have a powerplay specialist in the pace department.

• CSK have several bowling options in the strongest XI.

Weaknesses

• While Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni can muscle pacers, Jadeja’s hitting ability hasn’t been inspiring lately, and Dhoni’s expertise is on the wane. Further, Dhoni is also coming after knee surgery and has no real match practice. Shardul and Chahar are not consistent boundary-hitters. Hence, the finishing might be an issue if the opponents have express pacers.

• CSK don’t have a genuine enforcer for the middle overs. While they might be comfortable in their home games, the Dhoni-led side can face issues on fast tracks in away matches.

• There are plenty of injuries and unavailability issues for CSK, with most of their injured players from their first-choice XI. Devon Conway won’t feature in the first half, and Rachin Ravindra’s T20 game is far from perfect, making the opening partnership vulnerable. Similarly, Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman might miss a few games, weakening pace bowling.

• The death overs bowling looks shaky, especially due to the recent form of Matheesha Pathirana.

CSK's IPL 2024 Fixtures / Schedule

• CSK vs RCB - 22nd March, 8:00 PM IST

• CSK vs GT - 26th March, 7:30 PM IST

• DC vs CSK - 31st March, 7:30 PM IST

• SRH vs CSK - 5th April, 7:30 PM IST

• more matches yet to be announced

CSK's IPL 2024 Season Prediction

Chennai Super Kings have had a tried and tested method, which has been effective since the first season. If we look at the squad, CSK have quality in every department. There are also some notable additions which will bolster CSK’s squad in IPL 2024.

But the unavailability of main players is the most significant issue. Most of their injured players are expected to come straight into the XI. MS Dhoni knows how to utilise the resources in full effect, and he has familiar troops to operate with.

CSK should at least qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024. However, a lot will depend on the form and presence of key players from there on. While CSK might contest hard, they might not win the trophy.

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