The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will be a special one for Chennai Super Kings. After three years, Chennai fans will get to see their favourite team at the Chepauk in a season that could be very well the last for skipper MS Dhoni. Over the years, CSK have defied the odds and defeated far younger and star-studded teams. Their success speaks for itself as they have won the league four times. However, with Dhoni & Co. not getting any younger, Australia great Matthew Hayden wonders how to perceive the aged nature of the side.
"They have had this for a little, that they're kind of a Dad's Army - a tagline that they seem to have received. This year is a little bit the same as well," Hayden, himself a former Chennai Super Kings player, told Star Sports.
"MS Dhoni is of an age like Ambati Rayudu where they really need to be key players, not just have the potential as leaders of the team. So those two key players in particular, with that age of their side, is it going to be experience or is it going to be the decline of CSK?" stated the Australian legend
The 2022 season was a disappointing one for the four-time champions as they finished ninth in the ten-team tournament with just eight points. Ravindra Jadeja started the season as the captain but midway, he left his position due to the pressure of the job as well as the worrying run of form. MS Dhoni became the skipper once again, but it was too little too late for CSK.
In the new season, CSK are expected to stick to their tested opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad followed by the big-money signing Ben Stokes. Stokes provides the batting line-up with massive solidity, and he can find good support from the experienced Ambati Rayudu at No. 4.
The middle order boasts of three brilliant all-round options in Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja with MS Dhoni looking to guide his team to their fifth IPL title. Dube, who has shown streaks of brilliance in the domestic circuit, will aim to find his lost touch in the IPL this season.
The bowling department was not quite strong last season, but the return of Deepak Chahar will be a blessing for the side. Mukesh Choudhary was one of the bright spots of 2022 when it came to their bowling and Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana is once again expected to be their main spinner.
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