Playing for the first time under a different captain, the Chennai Super Kings narrowly missed out on the playoff places to the Royal Challengers Bangalore on net-run-rate last season. Now in their second season under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad and a more balanced and stronger squad, can the Super Kings from Chennai roar back and claim their sixth IPL title?
In this article, we take a look at the five domestic players who can make a difference for Chennai Super Kings this coming season.
Mukesh Chaudhary
The 28-year-old left-arm fast bowler from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, had a wonderful breakthrough season with the Chennai Super Kings during the 2022 season, picking up 16 wickets from just 12 games, however, a rib fracture and a back injury meant he had to sit on the sidelines for more than 15 months. Although he made his comeback during the 2024 IPL season, he found it difficult to break into the playing XI.
Now back to his previous best, Mukesh Chaudhary has been producing consistent performances across tournaments. During last year’s Maharashtra Premier League, Mukesh bagged 21 wickets for Eagle Nashik Titans and finished as the second-highest wicket taker in the tournament. He carried this form into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), again finishing as the third-highest wicket taker, although having played less games than the two in front of him.
With CSK likely to go with either him or Khaleel Ahmed as their starting left-arm seamer, the 28-year-old’s timely return to form will most likely give him the edge especially due to his ability to pick crucial wickets with the new ball.
Anshul Kamboj
The 24-year-old seamer from Haryana has been on an upward trajectory since making his debut for Haryana in the domestic circuit in 2022. The right-arm pacer was instrumental to Haryana winning their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy last season as he bagged 17 wickets in ten innings, including two crucial wickets in the final. This led to the Mumbai Indians securing his services during the 2024 mini auction. Although he played just three games all season, it was evident what he can produce in one of the biggest stages.
This season, too, Kamboj had a good SMAT, picking up nine wickets and going at a meagre 6.73 economy. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where Harayana again made it into the semi-finals, the 24-year-old ended the tournament among the top five highest wicket takers. Although it is very likely that CSK will turn up with slow and turning wickets at Chepauk, while on the road, they can use someone with his skillset both as a starter or as an Impact Sub when defending targets.
Deepak Hooda
Nicknamed “Hurricane” for his explosive batting and ability to change a game on its head, Deepak Hooda is a player who can be vital to the Chennai Super Kings’ cause this coming season, if they can get him firing on all cylinders. However, following his exceptional debut season with the Lucknow Super Giants, the 29-year-old middle-order batter has had two torrid time in the last two seasons, scoring just 229 runs in 21 innings.
Given the Chennai Super Kings have stacked their bowling contingent with quality spin bowlers of all kinds, it is likely that they’ll be turning up with slow and turning wickets to bamboozle the opposition in their fortress Chepauk. Thus, to have a right-handed spin basher alongside Shivam Dube will be ideal for the CSK management.
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
The last few years have shown that fast bowling has been CSK’s achilles heel, both during the PowerPlays and the crucial death overs. Thus, it is understandable why they’ve invested heavily on seamers, especially Indian seamers. Having dazzled with his raw pace and impressive seam movement during the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, Kamalesh Nagarkoti’s career has been on and off, largely due to recurring injuries.
Now back fit again, the 25-year-old seamer from Rajasthan has been in fine form in the domestic circuit. He picked up ten wickets in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, going at a reasonable 6.7 economy rate while in his three matches in the ongoing VHT, Nagarkoti bagged seven wickets and looked lethal in each of his spell. If the management can keep him fit, there’s every chance he’ll emerge as one of the surprise packages this season.
Shreyas Gopal
The Chennai Super Kings have a left-arm finger spinner in Ravindra Jadeja, a right-hand finger spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, a mysterious spinner in Noor Ahmad, and a leg spinner in Shreyas Gopal. This is by far the best spin bowling contingent in the IPL this season. However, since picking up 20 wickets during the 2020 season with the Rajasthan Royals, the 31-year-old leggy has failed to reach those heights again.
That being said, in the lead up to the 2025 edition, Shreyas Gopal has been in excellent form for his state side, sitting near the top of the highest wicket-taker’s chart in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Despite Karnataka’s early exit in the SMAT, Gopal picked up 14 wickets in just seven innings at an economy of 6.15 while in the VHT, he is currently the second-highest wicket-taker behind Arshdeep Singh with 18 wickets. Given the slow and turning nature of the Chepauk pitches in the past, Gopal will have a huge role to play in the upcoming season.
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