IPL 2018: 3 reasons why the Chennai Super Kings will win the IPL
The Chennai Super Kings are back. After a two year absence from the IPL, the men in yellow are ready to challenge for the title once again. They are certainly one of the favourites to win the tournament this year, after a strong showing in the auction.
Prior to the auction, they retained captain MS Dhoni, all-time IPL leading run scorer Suresh Raina and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. They supported these talented players with some great buys, like Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Lungi Ngidi.
On paper, they are a very strong side and perhaps have one of the best squads in the tournament. Here are three reasons why Chennai will win the IPL this season.
#3 They have a very experienced squad
Many teams in the IPL auction bought some of India's young and upcoming players. For example, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought three U-19 World Cup stars (Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Shubman Gill), whereas the Chennai Super Kings ignored them in favour of experience. This CSK side is a drilled outfit.
Captain MS Dhoni is perhaps one of the most experienced T20 players in the world and the same could be said for Australian Shane Watson (who has played in the IPL since its first season) and India's premier off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh.
They also boast of Dwayne Bravo, who has the most wickets in T20 history, and also Suresh Raina, who has the most IPL runs of all time. Between this core group of five players, they have played 1,755 international matches. It is hard to think of any other franchise who can boast that same level of international experience.
This could be the difference as the tournament progresses. In tough situations, it is better to have cool, calm figures who can safely guide a team over the line, rather than younger, inexperienced players who are more prone to making silly errors. Therefore, Chennai are in a very strong position heading into the season.