Captain – M.S. Dhoni
The Chennai Super Kings captain for the 2023 season will be M.S. Dhoni. Dhoni is one of the most famous cricketers in the history of the game and arguably one of India’s greatest ever players. Dhoni has become a cornerstone of the CSK franchise and was the franchise’s first captain back in 2008. He briefly gave up the captaincy last season with Ravi Jadeja taking over, but due to the team’s poor form, Dhoni regained the captaincy after just eight games and will skipper the side once again this year.
Dhoni is the longest-serving captain in IPL history and has led the Super Kings to each of their four IPL titles. Now 41, many believe that this year’s IPL could be Dhoni’s last, and he will be desperate to go out with a bang.
Best bowler – Mukesh Choudhary
A major issue for the Chennai Super Kings in last year’s tournament came in the bowling department, where they consistently struggled to take regular wickets. The team’s best bowler last year was Dwayne Bravo, who became the tournament’s most successful wicket taker of all time. Bravo is now retired and has moved to the team’s coaching department, which now leaves a void that Mukesh Choudhary will be hoping to fill. Choudhary had a good season last year, picking up 16 wickets across the 13 matches he participated in, and he looks likely to be the team’s most impactful bowler this year.
Best batsman – Devon Conway
The Super Kings struggled to make consistent runs last year, and their poor batting was a major reason as to why the team could only manage to record four wins in last season’s competition. In a sign of how much they struggled, it was New Zealand international Devon Conway who top scored for the team with 250 runs, but Conway only appeared in seven of the team’s 14 matches. Conway will be in from the start this year and will hope to open the batting in style.
Best player – Ben Stokes
Despite the betting indicating that the Super Kings could be in for a tough time this season, the Super Kings have a talented squad that is certainly capable of providing a few surprises.
Ben Stokes is widely regarded as the best cricketer in the world, and the Super Kings will be hoping that he can help inspire the team to victory this season. Stokes was influential in England’s victory in the T20 World Cup and was the key reason as to why England managed to beat Pakistan in the final. Capable with both bat and ball, Stokes will be hoping to make an impact in all phases of the game.
Another member of that victorious England team was Moen Ali. Ali has been a fixture in the IPL, and his batting versatility can be something that the Super Kings will be hopeful of exploiting. Ali can offer explosiveness to the CSK batting line up and, if on form, can provide match-winning moments.
Kyle Jamieson is one of the best all-rounders in T20 and can be devastating with both the bat and ball. Jamieson does head into this year’s IPL as an injury concern, and he may be forced to miss out on the start of the tournament.
The Chennai Super Kings owner is Narayanaswami Srinvasan, who owns Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited. As one of the eight founding teams back in 2008, the franchise was first owned by India Cements, but in 2014, the ownership was transferred to a separate entity – the Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited.
Win-loss (since 2008) – 209/121/86
Total IPL titles – 4
As one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, it isn’t a surprise to see that the Super Kings have one of the best win records in the history of the tournament.
Since the tournament first began in 2008, the Super Kings have played 209 matches and have won 121 of these contests. Only the Mumbai Indians can boast more wins, but the Super Kings do have the game’s best win rate at 57.89%. They stand alone as the second most successful team in IPL history with four titles, with only the Mumbai Indians having won more.
Highest score – 246/6 vs. Rajasthan Royals (2010)
CSK have achieved many memorable victories in their history, but their highest ever run total came back in 2010 when the Super Kings posted a total of 246 in a victory over the Rajasthan Royals. Murali Vijay top scored for the Super Kings, scoring 127 runs off just 56 balls, which included eight fours and 11 sixes. Vijay was ably supported by Albie Morkel, who scored 62 runs off just 34 balls. The Super Kings score of 246, remains the third highest score in the history of the IPL.
