3 reasons why CSK can win IPL 2025
The clock is ticking down to the start of another highly anticipated IPL season following the hoopla of India's 2025 Champions Trophy triumph. Similar to the build-up to most IPL seasons, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and their chances of achieving ultimate glory again have dominated the headlines.
Results aside, the prospect of watching their hero MS Dhoni has Chennai fans thrilled to the bits. In addition, the return of their hometown boy, Ravichandran Ashwin, has further enhanced the excitement among CSK fans.
Yet, when it comes to CSK, much like their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI), it is title or bust. Anything other than lifting the trophy on the final day of the IPL season is considered a failure, thanks to the incredible standard the franchise has set over the years.
While CSK have won the title in two of the previous four IPL seasons, missing out on playoff qualification last year and in three of the last five years will be on the minds of a franchise and a fan base that seldom rests on its laurels. If recent history is anything to go by, CSK fans have reason to be upbeat about their side's chances of winning a record-sixth IPL title.
Since 2020, CSK have alternated between ultimate triumph and playoff elimination in each of the last five seasons. They won the title in 2021 and 2023 after finishing outside the top four in 2020 and 2022.
Under first-time captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK just missed the cut in 2024, leading fans to believe 2025 could be their year again. Beyond the past trends, there are also tangible reasons to believe in CSK's chances of going all the way in the upcoming season.
Here, we look at three major reasons CSK can win the IPL 2025 title.
# 1 Roster tailormade to continue their ever-reliable home cooking
Dominating at home and winning most of their home games is the No.1 gospel for all ten participating teams heading into an IPL season. Yet, very few have mastered it year in and year out like CSK.
Boasting niche pitch conditions that enable the more traditional batters to prosper over the big hitters and the slower bowlers to have a major say, CSK has often thrived on stifling visiting teams in Chennai. Home domination has played a massive role in the Men in Yellow being the most successful and consistent franchise in IPL history.
As the only IPL side with a win/loss ratio over 2, CSK's domination at home can be expected to continue in the 2025 season. The franchise made several shrewd moves at the auction by adding incredible depth and variety to its spin-bowling arsenal with the acquisition of Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, and Shreyas Gopal.
With Ravindra Jadeja already retained and the part-time options of Rachin Ravindra and Deepak Hooda also available, CSK are likely to transform Chepauk into a den similar to what Team India does against foreign teams. Even in a supposed down year, CSK won five out of their seven home games in 2024.
The increase in spin-bowling stock will only make it a more daunting task for opposition sides to challenge CSK in Chennai. By winning almost all their home games, CSK should confirm their playoff berth and thereby become a huge contender for the IPL 2025 title.
# 2 Options galore to go 'Horses for Courses' across departments
One will be hard-pressed to find a squad with more 'horses for courses' options across positions than CSK in IPL 2025. In Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and Deepak Hooda, CSK have five players that can bat anywhere from No. 3 to 5 and provide a few overs with the ball.
They also boast several genuine all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Curran, and Jamie Overton - all of whom can bowl at different stages of the innings and bat at several positions.
Not many teams have an off-spinner, left-arm spinner, leg-spinner, and a left-arm chinaman bowler in their ranks like CSK. Even the pace attack has remarkable depth and variety with Curran and Khaleel Ahmed providing the left-arm angle and Nathan Ellis and Matheesha Pathirana being specialist death bowlers.
Options galore in terms of depth and variety across almost all the departments make CSK a dangerous proposition irrespective of conditions and the opponent on a particular day. A playing XI with possibly eight or nine bowling options and batting till No. 9 is a template that has produced much success over the years and 2025 should be no different.
# 3 Underrated 'Bench Strength' factor and Umpteen 'Been there, done that' players
CSK are among the only teams that could field two separate playing XIs in IPL 2025, thanks to their admirable bench strength. As a hypothetical, here is a likely starting lineup for CSK to start the season:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana.
In a parallel universe, another starting XI from the same squad, even if not as strong as the above, can be:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Anshul Kamboj.
Even with eight different players, CSK's second XI boasts an experienced IPL lineup with an impeccable balance of batting and bowling depth. This is a crucial yet underrated success mantra in a long tournament like the IPL where injuries inevitably play a role.
Bench strength aside, CSK also possesses a roster full of players who have won the IPL title with the franchise. The likes of Gaikwad, Conway, Dube, Jadeja, Dhoni, and Pathirana played major roles in CSK's title run in 2023.
Curran helped CSK win the IPL 2021 trophy, while Ashwin starred for the franchise in their first two title wins in 2010 and 2011. The comfort factor of 'Been there, done that' often plays a key role for a side in the high-pressure situation of knockout games and CSK should be more than well-served in that aspect in IPL 2025.