IPL 2022, Chennai Super Kings squad, fixtures and more: Defending champs begin new era under Jadeja

Chennai Super Kings will be entering a new era with Mahendra Singh Dhoni not captain anymore and Ravindra Jadeja taking over the reins. Days before the start of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, the reigning champions announced the change that is sure to have a significant impact on the franchise this season.

IPL 2022: The big question surrounding Ravindra Jadeja’s appointment as CSK captain

Chennai won the IPL title for the fourth time in 2021 and the expectations will be high once again when the men in yellow take the field this season. They let go of Faf du Plessis and Shardul Thakur at the mega auction but retained a strong core in Dhoni, Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad. At the auction, they also spent big money on retaining Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo.

History at the tournament

Squad

Shivam Dube, for whom the franchise bid Rs 4 crore at the auction, can be excepted to play a key role this season, while the likes of Devon Conway, Chris Jordan, Adam Milne and Rajvardhan Hangargekar also add firepower to the lineup.

IPL Auction 2022, Chennai Super Kings review: Possible best XI, strengths and weaknesses

Chennai feature in the season opener as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday but they will head into the match without the services of Deepak Chahar, Moeen Ali and Dwaine Pretorius. Moeen joined the squad late due to a visa issue while Pretorius is playing for South Africa in a white-ball series against Bangladesh. Both players won’t be available for the first game.

But the bigger blow is that of Chahar, for whom the franchise bid a massive Rs 14 crore at the auction. The right-arm pacer is set to miss a huge portion of the season due to a quadriceps injury. Chahar was expected to lead Chennai’s bowling attack and his absence definitely puts the team in a tight spot.

Full squad:

Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Simarjeet Singh, Devon Conway, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Subhranshu Senapati, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Chris Jordan, K Bhagath Varma.

Most Valuable Player

He is the best fielder in the team, a strike bowler, a crucial middle order batter, and now also the captain. Ravindra Jadeja’s importance to the team cannot be overstated. The 33-year-old all-rounder has a massive responsibility on his shoulders as the franchise moves on from Dhoni’s captaincy. The bar is set high when it comes to CSK and the expectations will continue to be immense. Jadeja will undoubtedly have Dhoni’s backing on the field but with no real experience as captain, he will need to dig in deep to rally his troops. Meanwhile, Gaikwad, who was a major pillar for CSK last season, will once again be one to watch out for at the top of the order.

Uncapped Indian to watch out for

His exploits in India’s recent Under-19 World Cup triumph ensured Chennai, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants went after him at the mega auction. But it was CSK who rather uncharacteristically bid a massive Rs 1.5 crore for Rajvardhan Hangargekar. The 19-year-old right-arm fast bowler has shown he can hit the 140 kmph mark consistently and also provide fireworks with the bat down the order. The franchise has shown great faith in him and with Dhoni’s guidance, one can expect Hangargekar to go from strength to strength. Chahar’s absence could also mean the young pacer is handed more responsibility from the get-go.

Quotes corner

Jadeja to CSK TV: “Feeling good but at the same time, I also need to fill in big shoes like Mahi bhai’s. I already said that he leaves a big legacy, so I need to carry that forward. I don’t need to worry too much because he’s here. Whatever question I have, I’ll always go to him. He’ll be my go-to person, he was and he still is today. I’m not worried too much.”

Fixtures

Teams to play twice: MI, SRH, RCB, PBKS, GT
Teams to play once: KKR, RR, DC, LSG