Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign in the quest of a record sixth title. The five-time IPL winners will be looking to add another notch to their belt under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
CSK’s season opener in IPL 2025 will be a blockbuster clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on 23 March at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After a disappointing run in 2024, the team will look for the best possible start in the 18th edition of IPL.
The Super Kings have retained their team’s core, securing the services of skipper Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, and the legendary MS Dhoni.
They also spent big money in the mega auction, signing Noor Ahmad, Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra among others. CSK also re-signed Ravichandran Ashwin for INR 9.75 crore, and his reunion with Dhoni will be one of this season’s highlights.
Chennai Super Kings Full Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth
Strength
While the focus will be on their strong batting lineup, CSK’s biggest strength might be their spin department, featuring premier names like Ashwin and Jadeja. The veteran duo had forgettable performances last year, taking nine and eight wickets respectively. However, when they are on song, they can be lethal, as their performance in IPL 2023 showed. The signing of Noor Ahmad, who is one of the best death-over bowlers in T20, will be a massive aid in their Chennai home stadium.
Weakness
Unlike their spin bowling, CSK’s pace attack is light on experience. Pathirana is their only ‘star’ pacer, and he was not in the best of form in the recently concluded SA20 2025, taking just three wickets. Jamie Overton and Nathan Ellis are far from being big-impact players, and the domestic roster of Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, and Vijay Shankar will be tested for sure.
Opportunity
Chennai Super Kings have been hailed as the best outfit for youngsters to flourish in. The team has handed opportunities to Ashwin, Gaikwad, Pathirana, and others, with each of them being quite successful in IPL. This season, too, they have some exciting youngsters in their ranks like C Andre Siddarth, Anshul Kamboj and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who will expect to get plenty of playing time to show off their skills.
Threat
The biggest threat to CSK’s title ambitions will be their lopsided squad selection this year. They have gone big on their top-order lineup, and have put big faith in their spin bowlers. However, if all does not go to plan, or if any players suffer injuries, the onus will be on the staff to find a Plan B, which might be easier said than done with misfiring middle-order batters and inexperienced pacers in their team.
CSK IPL 2025 Full Schedule
23 March: vs Mumbai Indians at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
28 March: vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
30 March: vs Rajasthan Royals at ACA Stadium, Guwahati – 7:30 pm IST.
5 April: vs Delhi Capitals at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 3:30 pm IST.
8 April: vs Punjab Kings at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur – 7:30 pm IST.
11 April: vs Kolkata Knight Riders at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
14 April: vs Lucknow Super Giants at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow – 7:30 pm IST.
20 April: vs Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai – 7:30 pm IST.
25 April: vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
30 April: vs Punjab Kings at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
3 May: vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru – 7:30 pm IST.
7 May: vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata – 7:30 pm IST.
12 May: vs Rajasthan Royals at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 pm IST.
18 May: vs Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 3:30 pm IST.
