In Pictures: CSK welcome their new players by unveiling jerseys
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been one of the most popular franchises since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. Despite being one of the most successful teams in the IPL, the Super Kings endured one of their worst seasons in 2022. The team finished second from the bottom of the points table with just four wins from the 14 matches played.
In a bid to turn things around, CSK added some new faces to the squad at the auction late last year. A major acquisition was that of England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a whopping ₹16.25 crores. With the retirement of their charismatic all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, the franchise decided to splash the cash on Stokes ahead of the 2023 season.
The Super Kings also made other purchases in the auction, including Ajinkya Rahane, all-rounder Nishant Sindhu, batsman Shaik Rasheed and slow left-arm orthodox bowler Ajay Mandal.
With the season about to get underway, the franchise unveiled and presented CSK jerseys to the newly added players. Pictures of the occasion were shared on its Twitter handle.
Coming together to welcome the new lions with a yellove touch! 💛
#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁 https://t.co/nK4OT2ueSH
Ben Stokes is set to sport the same number as he does for England (55) and will hope he can bring his good fortune from winning the 50 overs and T20 World Cups with his national side to help CSK win their fifth IPL title.
Captain MS Dhoni presented Rasheed and former India teammate Rahane with their jerseys, while head coach Stephen Fleming presented Sindhu with his jersey.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan and owner N.Srinivasan also presented jerseys to other newcomers in the squad.
CSK will look to equal Mumbai Indians in winning most IPL titles
Led by one of India's greatest captains of all time, MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings have been the most consistent franchise in IPL history. The side has reached the playoffs in all but two seasons and has made the finals an incredible nine times in the 13 seasons they have played.
They have won the IPL four times and are second only to the Mumbai Indians, who have won the title five times.
The Super Kings, though, have been on somewhat of a downward spiral over the last three IPL seasons. Despite their glorious title run in 2021, they missed the playoffs in 2020 and 2022. With their new additions, the team will look to repeat their heroics from 2021 and equal the Mumbai Indians as the most successful franchise in terms of IPL titles.
Chennai Super Kings take on defending champions Gujarat Titans in the opening encounter of IPL 2023 on Friday, March 31.