CSK vs MI - which team has the better IPL 2024 squad? 

Defending Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be looking to launch another strong campaign this season and add to their trophy cabinet. They have now won five IPL titles, which is a phenomenal feat.

However, Chennai Super Kings are not the only team to have won the IPL a whopping five times. Mumbai Indians too have done so, and that is one of the reasons why the clash between the two is called the 'El Clasico' of the competition.

MI, who won the title in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, have a stellar record in the competition. They are known to be one of the few franchises that take good care of their youngsters and groom them for bigger roles in the future.

The IPL auction, which took place on December 19 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, provided both franchises with the opportunity to reinforce their squads, which they managed to do quite comfortably.

In this feature, we bring to you a comparison between CSK and MI, and try and decode which of them has the better squad.

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings won IPL 2023.

Squad composition

Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway (NZ), Avanish Rao Aravelly.

Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi.

All-rounders: Moeen Ali (ENG), Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner (NZ), Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra (NZ), Daryl Mitchell (NZ), Shardul Thakur.

Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana (SL), Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana (SL), Mustafizur Rahman (BAN), Mukesh Choudhary.

CSK players bought at IPL 2024 auction: Rachin Ravindra (Rs. 1.8 crore), Shardul Thakur (Rs. 4 crore), Daryl Mitchell (Rs. 14 crore), Sameer Rizvi (Rs. 8.40 crore), Mustafizur Rahman (Rs. 2 crore), Avanish Rao Aravelly (Rs. 20 lakh).

The Chennai Super Kings went into the auction held on 19 December with a set gameplan which they were able to execute to an extent.

They will feel that they have a balanced squad. The acquisition of Rachin Ravindra is bound to add a lot of weight to their top order, but this puts the likes of Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane in a quandary.

With so many top-order batters in their lineup, it remains to be seen which of the chosen two get to open the innings. While it is expected that Rahane may not do so, the inclusion of Ravindra also adds a bit of a question mark.

Mitchell Santner, who was already in their squad, may be left out because of the rule of playing four foreigners. Skipper MS Dhoni has a lot on his hands, and the way he manages his squad will lay down a marker for how they perform in the tournament.

It has to be said that CSK have a more than decent bowling attack, with the likes of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja manning it. The inclusion of another quality spinner into the lineup, and either one of Matheesha Pathirana or Mustafizur Rahman, should make for a well-balanced side.

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Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians have a fairly decent squad.

Squad composition

Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan, Vishnu Vinod.

Batters: Rohit Sharma, Tim David (AUS), Suryakumar Yadav, N. Tilak Varma, Dewald Brevis (SA).

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Romario Shepherd (WI), Nehal Wadhera, Shams Mulani, Gerald Coetzee (SA), Mohammad Nabi (AFG), Shivalik Sharma, Naman Dhir.

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff (AUS), Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Piyush Chawla, Dilshan Madushanka (SL), Nuwan Thushara (SL), Anshul Kamboj, Shreyas Gopal.

MI players bought at IPL 2024 auction: Gerald Coetzee (Rs. 5 crore), Dilshan Madushanka (Rs. 4.60 crore), Shreyas Gopal (Rs. 20 lakh), Nuwan Thushara (Rs. 4.80 crore), Naman Dhir (Rs. 20 lakh), Anshul Kamboj (Rs. 20 lakh), Mohammad Nabi (Rs. 1.5 crore), Shivalik Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh).

Mumbai Indians, who did not come into the auction with the intention to buy too many players, will be pleased with the way they went about it. They retained their core players and managed to get Hardik Pandya via a trade with Gujarat Titans.

They, of course, created headlines soon afterwards by naming him the captain, replacing the incumbent Rohit Sharma. Pandya won the IPL with the Titans in his first season with them, and this could be one of the main reasons behind him being named the skipper on his return to the team.

He was primed to win his second title with them but was stopped in the final by the Chennai Super Kings. This time around, though, back at his old den, Pandya will have to tread carefully and maintain the balance between the youngsters and veterans.

The addition of Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka to their ranks will help take some of the pressure off Jasprit Bumrah. At the same time, Mohammad Nabi's inclusion in the lower middle-order is bound to give them some late flourishes.

It would appear as if MI have strengthened every department that they needed to, although their spin bowling department does look a little undercooked. Karnataka's Shreyas Gopal, who was snapped up for his base price, will come in handy here with his experience.

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Who has the better squad?

Although both the teams have fairly balanced and even squads, it seems MI edge CSK as their core remains intact. This core also consists of players who are still in their prime and can be expected to contribute heavily to the team's cause in the next season of the IPL and even further.