Former CSK Director picks his All Time CSK XI

Former Indian cricketer and former Chennai Super Kings team Director VB Chandrasekhar recently picked up his All Time CSK XI side. Chennai Super Kings is all set to be back on the IPL roster after facing a two year suspension period. They are one of the most popular sides in the tournament and the hype around their comeback is immense.

Also, the latest updates on the player retention policies for IPL 2018 suggest that they will have the services of MS Dhoni as their captain. Amidst this backdrop, Chandrasekhar picked up his All Time CSK XI on the official site of the Chennai Super Kings. He remarked that he picked the Australian duo of Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey as his openers in the side. Hussey was the Orange Cap winner in the IPL 2013.

“Taking into consideration the four overseas player restriction, I’ll go with the Australian pair of Hayden and Hussey as my openers – Haydos for his power-hitting and Hussey for the structuring that he brings to the innings,” noted Chandrasekhar.

He then had Suresh Raina and S Badrinath in the middle-order. Raina is currently the leading run getter for CSK with 3699 runs to his name. Following these gentlemen, the services of captain MS Dhoni comes in next.

“Raina is at No 3 as he does both, and provides impetus to the innings in the middle overs. Given that the top 3 are left-handers, it’s Dhoni at No 4, depending on the situation, or it could be the floater Badrinath, followed by Bravo,” quipped the former cricketer.

The bowling department has all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who was the Purple Cap winner in the IPL 2013 and IPL 2015. Ravichandran Ashwin, the man with most scalps for CSK (90 wickets) comes in next along with left arm spinner Ravindran Jadeja. The experience of Muttiah Muralitharan only adds weight to the spin bowling department. Among the pace bowlers, Chandrasekhar picked Ashish Nehra and Manpreet Gony.

“In Ashwin, Jadeja, Gony, Muralitharan and Nehra – not to forget Bravo – I have a varied and incisive attack that, when on song, most sides would struggle against. I would have ideally liked to pick Andrew Flintoff but in subcontinent conditions going in with Murali seems a better option as I’d push in one over from Murali early on to hold one back from Ashwin for the death,” said Chandrasekhar.

“And in Dhoni I got a world-class three-dimensional cricketer – wicket-keeper, batsman and inspiring leader. Naturally, he will be captaining my all time CSK XI,” he quipped further.

Here is the All Time CSK XI picked up by VB Chandrasekhar:

Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Subramaniam Badrinath, MS Dhoni (C and WK), Dwayne Bravo, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ashish Nehra.