"They should reach the playoffs if they play to their potential" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's prospects in IPL 2023
Aakash Chopra reckons the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should be able reach the IPL 2023 playoffs if they play to their potential.
The Chennai-based franchise will face the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the opening game of this season's edition of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Friday, March 31. They will hope to go all the way in what could be their talismanic skipper MS Dhoni's last year as a player in the prestigious tournament.
On the "AakashVani" show on JioCinema, Chopra was optimistic about CSK's chances of qualifying for the playoffs, reasoning:
"They are looking like a very decent team on paper. Where can this team reach? They should reach the playoffs if they play to their potential. Dhoni is the captain, there is an emotional connect, it is the last season, and the matches are going to be played in Chennai, which is their fortress."
The former Indian batter picked Devon Conway and Deepak Chahar as CSK's likely highest run-scorer and top wicket-taker respectively, saying:
"Who can be this team's highest run-scorer? One of Ruturaj Gaikwad or Devon Conway - I am going with Devon Conway although we don't know how much the Chennai pitch will suit him. Who can be the highest wicket-taker? I am going with Deepak Chahar."
Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner have joined CSK ahead of IPL 2023. https://t.co/lYYvQGJf5n
Conway amassed 252 runs at an excellent average of 42.00 and an impressive strike rate of 145.67 in the seven matches he played in IPL 2022. Chahar missed last year's tournament due to injury and will hope to be fit and available for the entirety of IPL 2023.
"Apart from Dhoni, Chennai is defined by all-rounders" - Aakash Chopra on the plethora of all-rounders in CSK's squad
Aakash Chopra highlighted that CSK, over the years, have been defined by MS Dhoni and the plethora of all-rounders in their squad, stating:
"Apart from Dhoni, Chennai is defined by all-rounders. When you look at this team, there are two wicketkeepers - one is Dhoni and the other is Devon Conway. Devon Conway is a class player."
The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by highlighting that the trend will continue this season as well, observing:
"If we talk about all-rounders - Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner and Ben Stokes in bold letters, and then two or three more Indian names."
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The Chennai Super Kings bought Ben Stokes for a whopping ₹16.25 crore at the IPL 2023 auction. The four-time champions will hope that the all-rounder replicates his exploits for England at last year's T20 World Cup in the 16th season of the Indian Premier League.