Chennai Super Kings has been by far the best franchise of Vivo IPL 12 and have already won 6 out of their 7 matches in the tournament so far. A victory tomorrow against the Kolkata Knight Riders will more or less ensure their qualification for the playoffs. They have an exceptional team who has the perfect blend for a T20 tournament.
Captain MS Dhoni like all the other years has lead Chennai from the front and is currently the leading run scorer for the Chennai Super Kings in this competition. The batting department needs a bit of improvement but the bowlers have done it more often not for the yellow brigade.
Now with the 29th match of the tournament slated to be played in 24 hours time let us have a look at the Predicted Playing XI of Chennai Super Kings
Shane Watson
The former Aussie all-rounder has looked good in patches and hasn’t managed to strike form on a consistent basis. He will definitely look to make an impression when Chennai meet Kolkata in the return leg tomorrow afternoon. Watson is a sensational striker of the ball and a big knock might joust be around the corner for the big man.
Faf du Plessis
The South African skipper looked in ominous touch during his first match in the competition. However, he has struggled with the pitch conditions in the last couple of matches which has restricted his run flow to a considerable amount. He will look to get his franchise off to a flying start with Watson in tomorrow’s clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Suresh Raina
The veteran southpaw has been out of touch in the tournament so far. He has played a few delightful shots but has lacked the consistency. For a batsman of Raina’s calibre, he should start contributing more to the franchise in the future matches. He is a sensational fielder and always manages to stop 5-10 runs in the field. Like the top two, he is also due for a big score.
Ambati Rayudu
He looked in great touch in the last match against the Rajasthan Royals and stitched together a great stand of 95 runs which helped CSK claw their way back into the game after being reduced to 24/4. Unlike last year when he scored 602 runs in the tournament, Rayudu has lacked the consistency this year. However, his knock of substance against RR will give him a lot of confidence.
Kedar Jadhav
The champion batsman is yet to realize his potential in the tournament. Just like most of the other batters, he has played some good shots but has failed to convert his starts into big one’s time and again. He has not been used as a spinner in the tournament so far just to keep him fresh for the 2019 World Cup.
MS Dhoni
The CSK skipper has been the most consistent batsman for his franchise as has bailed them out of trouble whenever they have been pushed to a corner. In the match against Rajasthan, Dhoni scored a brilliant 58 of 43 deliveries which kept CSK in the game till the last over. Eventually, Mitchell Santner struck a six to seal the deal for the three-time champions.
Ravindra Jadeja
The left-arm tweaker bowled brilliantly against the Rajasthan Royals and finished with impressive figures of 2/20 in his allotted 4 overs. In the process, he also became the first left-arm spinner to bag 100 wickets in IPL. He also struck an important six in the last over against RR which got CSK close to the target.
Scott Kuggeleijn
The fast bowler from New Zealand was rested from the previous match in favour of his Kiwis teammate Mitchell Santner. However, in Kolkata, MS Dhoni might be prompted to play Kuggeleijn who can do a job with his pace variations. Hence he might be back in the playing XI.
Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has been on the expensive side in the matches he has played. The fast bowler can replace Harbhajan Singh as the veteran spinner is ruled out with a neck injury.
Deepak Chahar
He has been the pick of the Chennai Super Kings bowlers and has led the CSK attack quite admirably. He is among the very few bowlers in world cricket who finished his T20 spell at a single go. He is a perfect choice for Dhoni with the new ball and he has done a grand job for his captain. In the last couple of matches, Chahar has also been asked to bowl in the death.
Imran Tahir
This young South African needs no introduction. Even at the age of 40, his childlike enthusiasm makes him an integral part of the CSK outfit. He is a sensational limited overs bowler and has been the most important bowler for Chennai in the tournament so far. He bowls in the right areas and has made life difficult for opposition batters.