IPL 2018: Probable starting XI for CSK
Chennai Super Kings are one of the most famous and successful T20 franchises across the globe. They are back in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season after a ban of two years.
They retained the trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja before the auction.
CSK let Ravichandran Ashwin go and brought in the veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. They brought back Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis through RTM and went big for Kedar Jadhav, Karn Sharma and Shane Watson.
Some of the other interesting names include Imran Tahir, Mark Wood, Mitchell Santner and Lungi Ngidi. Dhoni has lot of options in his squad and here we take a look at the likely Chennai Super Kings XI.
Openers
1. Shane Watson
The veteran Australian all-rounder is one of the most destructive T20 players. Though he was poor in IPL 2017, he had a successful Big Bash League (BBL) 2017/18. With 331 runs, he was the third highest run-getter in the tournament with two fifties and scored at a strike rate of almost 140. Though he does not bowl a lot these days, he can play as an opening batsman.
2. Murali Vijay
Vijay went unsold in the first round of auction but CSK brought him in the second round. Previously a CSK player, he will be playing in his home ground once again. He has played 100 IPL games so far and scored 2511 runs in them. The opener missed the IPL 2017 because of injury but was brilliant in 2016 with 5 fifties. Playing at Chepauk will get the best out of the Indian Test opener.