Chennai Super Kings is the defending champ of the IPL 2022 season. The fifteenth season of the Indian Premier League will be held in India and this season of the cash-rich league tournament will have two new teams named Ahmedabad Titans and Lucknow Super Giants.
CSK – Chennai Super Kings had a poor 2020 IPL season. But the Yellow Army bounced back well to lift their fourth IPL title, and they stand next to MI – Mumbai Indians, who have won five IPL trophies. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings also share a record of defending their IPL crowns. Mumbai Indians did in 2020, and Chennai Super Kings was the first one to do so in IPL 2011 season.
Chennai Super Kings under Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been tremendous achievers. They were also banned for two seasons in the 2016 and 2017 Indian Premier League seasons. But in IPL 2018, Mahi and his CSK men came back with a bang and lifted their third title of this cash-rich league tournament by defeating the Orange Army, Sunrisers Hyderabad team.
Chennai Super Kings were superb in the last season of the IPL. The first half of the IPL 2021 season was played in India, and the rest of the matches were completed in the UAE – United Arab Emirates. CSK was unbeatable in India, and they also continued their excellent form in the UAE. They lifted their fourth crown mainly because of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf Du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja, Josh Hazlewood, Moeen Ali, and DJ Bravo.
Now comes the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, where all the eight franchises can retain only four players. CSK has retained Jaddu, Moen Ali, MS Dhoni, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Jaddu has been retained as the first choice player for 16 crores, and the other three players have been retained for 12 crores.
The auction for the IPL 2022 season will be a mega auction event, which will take place tomorrow in Bangalore. The country’s number one sports channel, Star Sports India networks will broadcast this event for two days. The yellow Army franchise will look at these players to buy in the IPL 2022 mega auctions –
- Suresh Kumar Raina – Chinna Thalai, Suresh Raina wasn’t retained for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Suresh Raina is the younger stalwart of Chennai Super Kings. He was part of this franchise since the inaugural season of the IPL 2008 season. CSK has Moeen Ali, who did an excellent job in the IPL 2021 season. Ali also has played for RCB – Royal Challenge Bangalore franchise in his overall IPL career. But Suresh Raina is their leading man. He skipped the IPL 2020 season due to personal reasons.
Still, he was seen in good touch in the IPL 2021 season. Suresh Raina was the preferred number three batter for CSK. But now that spot has been taken by Moeen Ali. Raina, the highest run-scorer for CSK in the IPL history, needs to find ways to get his preferred number back or be useful as the number four batter. CSK can think of buying him in the mega auction. He can make any batting lineup look stronger. Raina can also be their future captain when MSD decides to hang his boots from this cash-rich league tournament.
- Kuldeep Yadav – CSK has Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja in their mix for the next IPL season. But adding Kuldeep Yadav to their cart might be a blessing in disguise for them. If the Yellow Army franchise picks Kuldeep Yadav, it would be great for him. Kuldeep was seen in excellent form when MS Dhoni was behind the stumps. But after the retirement of Mahi Bhai, the international career of this finger spinner has gone for the toss.
Mahi Bhai would guide Kuldeep and assist him in bowling in good areas. Pant, the new wicketkeeper, hasn’t succeeded, so Kuldeep has lost his place, and KKR, too, didn’t pick him. Now the Kolkata Knight Riders have released the spin bowler so that CSK can buy him in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Kuldeep can associate with Dhoni again, which may save his career, and CSK could also get an extra spin option.
- David Warner – CSK might need an extra opener in their mix. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis were excellent for them last season. But Du Plessis has been released by the CSK franchise. The South African batsman has already retired from Tests and ODI cricket. Instead of re-adding Faf into the CSK squad, the management can look at David Warner.
The dashing Aussie opener was the part of the SRH – Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise. He was also their skipper, and under his captaincy, SRH won their maiden title in IPL 2016 season. The orange army was as good under Warner. But in the 2021 IPL season, Warner lost his captaincy and place in the side. Now he has been released from the SRH franchise, so CSK can think about buying the dashing opener from Australia, who could also be an ideal candidate for captaining the CSK side in the future. Warner was in poor form in the IPL 2021 season. Still, he won the man of the tournament award in the T20 World Cup 2021. Australia is crowned as the new T20 champions.
- Trent Boult – CSK hasn’t retained any pace bowlers in the team, so they will look to buy this pace bowler from the Kiwi nation in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Boult was with the MI – Mumbai Indians team till the last season. Trent was the part of the MI team when they won their fifth title. He gave good performances for them. Still, he wasn’t retained by the Blue franchise team.
Boult has been excellent for MI and New Zealand as a new ball bowler. He has picked up wickets upfront regularly. But in the last season, he couldn’t give MI the breakthroughs in the powerplay overs, which might be the main reason Rohit and co didn’t retain Boult. CSK is looking for a quality pace bowler, and they should buy Trent Boult, who would be good in the Yellow jersey. He would get a chance to work with the finest minds of Cricket, MS Dhoni, and Stephen Fleming. The CSK franchise, too, would be pleased to have Boult in their setup.
- Ravichandran Ashwin – The ace spinner of the Indian team hasn’t been retained by DC – Delhi Capitals. Ravichandran Ashwin was with the Chennai Super Kings, and he helped them win two back-to-back titles in the IPL 2010 and 2011 seasons. But later, he moved to Kings XI Punjab. He also captained that team. But still, he went to the Delhi Capitals franchise, and now he is looking to pave his way back with the yellow army team.
CSK would be thrilled to get Ash back, and he would be thrilled to work under MSD again. Ashwin has been India’s premier Test bowler, and now he is an all-format bowler for India. Ashwin was back into the T20I team in the World T20 2021. Ash has brought this change after a lot of fights and persistence. So now CSK can pick him again and win their fifth title this time around.