The Chennai Super Kings hit the right note as they brought a former overseas player to re-sign some established Indian names. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), arrived at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Mega auction with a plan: to bring the band back for another potentially festive carol. In this article, we will go through the SWOT analysis of the Chennai Super Kings & their probable XI ahead of the IPL 2025.
Going into the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, CSK had retained five players ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube & MS Dhoni. CSK went into the auction with a sum of INR 55 Crore & bought a total of 20 players spending a total amount of INR 54.95 Crore.
How did the Chennai Super Kings’ perform in the IPL 2024?
Under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad after taking over from MS Dhoni, The Chennai Super Kings had an eventful 2024 IPL season. In the following season, there were individual performances in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja but faced challenges in maintaining consistent momentum throughout the season with seven wins & seven losses finishing fifth of the table as they missed out on the playoffs for only the third time.
Chennai Super Kings Squad for IPL 2025:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddharth.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF CHENNAI SUPER KINGS:-
Strengths:
Formidable Spin attack: One of the biggest Strengths over the years for the Chennai Super Kings has been the spin-friendly conditions amplifying the effectiveness of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin & the newly acquired Noor Ahmed alongside the experienced Shreyas Gopal.
Mentorship of Dhoni: Though no more the captain of the five-time champions, Dhoni’s unparalleled leadership & mentorship provide guidance, especially in crunch situations.
Variety of All-round resources: CSK’s squad consists of a rich pool of all-round options such as the experienced campaigner Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Deepak Hooda, Ravichandran Ashwin & Shivam Dube who provide flexibility to the squad.
Weakness:
Over-reliance on Spin: The Over-reliability on spin could backfire on less-friendly pitches, especially in their away conditions.
Fitness Concerns: Injury-prone players with Mukesh Choudhary & Kamlesh Nagarkoti could disrupt the bowling line-up of the Chennai Super Kings.
Opportunity:
Home Advantage: The M.A Chidambaram Stadium has been the fortress for the Side which has played a vital role in the team’s success over the years. Chepauk provides a fortress-like advantage for spin-heavy sides.
Dynamic Batting Duo: It was Ruturaj Gaikwad alongside Devon Conway who played a crucial role in the team’s 2023 title triumph & the 2025 season once again provides the same opportunity for the opening duo to provide fiery beginnings.
Threats:
Pressure on Young talent: Young players like Noor Ahmed & Anshul Kamboj may struggle under the high-pressure IPL environment.
Aging Core Group: Players like Dhoni, Jadeja & Ashwin are nearing the latter stages of their careers, which could potentially affect the fielding agility in the field.
PROBABLE XI
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Ms Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, M Pathirana, Noor Ahmed, Mukesh Chaudhary (Impact Player).