IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings Best XI among retained players

After a very disappointing season in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, the Chennai Super Kings have begun the process of restructuring their team for the future. Robin Uthappa, one of their most impressive players from last year has already announced his retirement while one of IPL’s greats, Dwayne Bravo was not retained by the franchise ahead of the mini-auction on December 23.

Certain reports also claim that the next edition of the marquee tournament will be captain MS Dhoni’s last and thus, there will be a lot of focus on Chennai Super Kings in the coming edition. With four titles in their bag, the franchise is the second most successful team in history but their recent form is a bit concerning. Consistency is one such factor why the Chennai-based team couldn’t live up to the expectations in the previous season but now, without bio-bubble and Covid-19, the team will make their long-awaited return to their den, Chepauk and that’s going to be a massive boost for the team.

More so, because of the squad they have built over the years, the domestic players are well-accustomed to the conditions in Chennai and Dhoni, who very well knows how to use his spinners will be extremely dangerous on their home turf. With that, the question arises, how can Chennai field their team in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League? Without further ado, here’s Chennai’s Best XI among all the retained players.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad

The 25-year-old Ruturaj Gaikwad has been sensational in the cash-rich tournament. In 2021, the Pune-born cricketer became the first-ever uncapped player to win the Orange Cap and in 2022, even though his form dipped, the opener scored 368 runs in 14 matches.

Gaikwad is known for giving Chennai a rock-solid start and if he manages to continue with that, Chennai can post a hefty score after 20 overs. Being one of the youngest players in the Chennai squad, his agility in the field is eye-catching as well and with the bat, CSK will depend a lot on him in the upcoming season.

The youngster will also be hungry for runs as despite performing well in the IPL and for Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he isn’t getting enough opportunities in international cricket. He currently is in tremendous form in Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 164 runs in two matches, which includes a century against Railways.