In the six-year history of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings has been the most consistent team, with two triumphant back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011, as well as the finals appearances in 2008, 2012 and 2013. In the recently concluded season as well, CSK was one of the forerunners to lift the trophy but unfortunately was unable to win it against a dominant Mumbai Indians outfit in Kolkata.
2014 IPL Auction Predictions
- MS Dhoni: Dhoni remains one of the very best captains in terms of results, and is perhaps the best finisher going around. I feel that CSK would elect him as one of the 4 players they would like to retain.
- Srikkanth Anirudh: He is an attacking stroke-maker and a decent fielder. However, he has not been consistent and therefore I feel that CSK may not gun for him.
- Baba Aparajith: He was the find for India in the 2012 Under 19 World Cup in Australia and is a likely star for the future. There is a good chance that CSK shall try its best to have him in the set-up.
- Ravichandran Ashwin: One of the leading off-spinners going around, he is also a decent batsman. It is almost certain that CSK will have him in the team.
- S. Badrinath: A leading performer for the Tamil Nadu Ranji team, he has been consistent in IPL. Still, he is not always a quick scorer. Yet I think he shall be pursued by CSK as he is a player ideally suited to get the team out of a crunch situation.
- Dwayne Bravo: One of the top all-rounders around, he can provide valuable advice by virtue of being the skipper of the West Indies ODI team. CSK will go for him.
- Akila Dananjaya: The Sri Lankan off-spinner did not get many games in the franchise because of the pro-pace policy of the team management. The team is choc-a-bloc with good spinners, and so there is a strong chance that he will be allowed to go.
- Faf du Plessis: He is a fantastic asset for any team to have, with his belligerent batting, exceptional fielding and good leadership qualities. He has also opened for CSK. I think that CSK will want him to be part of the set-up in the upcoming IPL.
- Ben Hilfenhaus: The quick swing bowler from Down Under has been a good performer for CSK, and one feels that he will be part of the upcoming campaign as well.
- Jason Holder: A good seamer from the West Indies, he has been a consistent feature of the team of late and I think that CSK would do well to retain the services of this gangly seamer with a good yorker and fantastic line and length.
- Michael Hussey: Apart from having had an exceptional career, Hussey has been a tremendous and very committed performer for the CSK and it is almost obvious that the Chennai-based team will want him in the team.
- Imtiaz Ahmed: The UP seamer played a couple of matches and made a decent impression. Still it cannot be said for certain that he will be part of the team for 2014.
- Ravindra Jadeja: “Sir” Jadeja is a proven international cricketer but his performance for the franchise has not always been top drawer. Still, it is highly unlikely that CSK will relieve him of his duties.
- Shadab Jakati: An exceptional performer for CSK, it is a surprise that this bowling all-rounder has never been considered for higher honors. It is almost sure that he will be part of the franchise for the the foreseeable future.
- Nuwan Kulasekara: He did not get many matches for the CSK last season, owing to political problems. With the surfeit of seamers and seam bowling all-rounders in the team, it is unlikely he will play in 2014 for CSK.
- Ben Laughlin: He is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world, but his performance for CSK in the limited opportunities that he got did not do justice to that reputation. Still, he should be retained considering what he brings to the table.
- Albie Morkel: The best all-rounder in South Africa after Jacques Kallis, he has been a vital cog in the CSK juggernaut and it is but natural to expect him to be in the team in 2014 as well.
- Chris Morris: A very good quick bowler and a decent batsman, this South African all-rounder should be there in the team in the upcoming IPL too.
- Dirk Nannes: Capable of extreme pace, he is the only bowler of his kind in the CSK outfit and thus it is certain he will be part of the proceedings in 2014 as well.
- Suresh Raina: One of the very best, if not the best, limited-overs batsmen in India, he will be an integral part of the Chennai team. To me, he is a good candidate to become captain one day.
- Wriddhiman Saha: The Bengali wicket-keeper has been surplus to requirements in the CSK team with MSD behind the stumps. Still, there is a good chance that he will be in the plans just in case Dhoni needed to rest or was unable to play.
- Mohit Sharma: His was a story of rags to riches. He started the tournament as an unknown and has now come to represent India. He should lead the seam attack in 2014 as well.
- Murali Vijay: He is a good batsman and normally performs well for CSK. The franchise had retained him in 2011 and there is a good chance of that happening yet again in 2014.
There are plenty of other players such as R. Karthikeyan, Ronit More, Ankit Rajpoot, and Vijay Shankarwho, who have not received adequate opportunities and so not much can be said about them.
