IPL 2018: 3 reasons why the Chennai Super Kings will win the IPL

The Chennai Super Kings are back. After a two year absence from the IPL, the men in yellow are ready to challenge for the title once again. They are certainly one of the favourites to win the tournament this year, after a strong showing in the auction.

Prior to the auction, they retained captain MS Dhoni, all-time IPL leading run scorer Suresh Raina and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. They supported these talented players with some great buys, like Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Lungi Ngidi.

On paper, they are a very strong side and perhaps have one of the best squads in the tournament. Here are three reasons why Chennai will win the IPL this season.

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#3 They have a very experienced squad

Many teams in the IPL auction bought some of India's young and upcoming players. For example, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought three U-19 World Cup stars (Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Shubman Gill), whereas the Chennai Super Kings ignored them in favour of experience. This CSK side is a drilled outfit.

Captain MS Dhoni is perhaps one of the most experienced T20 players in the world and the same could be said for Australian Shane Watson (who has played in the IPL since its first season) and India's premier off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh.

They also boast of Dwayne Bravo, who has the most wickets in T20 history, and also Suresh Raina, who has the most IPL runs of all time. Between this core group of five players, they have played 1,755 international matches. It is hard to think of any other franchise who can boast that same level of international experience.

This could be the difference as the tournament progresses. In tough situations, it is better to have cool, calm figures who can safely guide a team over the line, rather than younger, inexperienced players who are more prone to making silly errors. Therefore, Chennai are in a very strong position heading into the season.

#2 Quality all-rounders

Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja are key to this Chennai side

All-rounders are vital in the IPL. By having a team full of quality all-rounders, it allows you to have a longer batting line-up and provides more bowling options. This means that your batting is strengthened while your bowling is given extra support. The Chennai Super Kings have some of the world's best all-rounders in their midst.

Australian Shane Watson and West Indian Dwayne Bravo could be key in the competition. Watson could potentially open the batting, as well as bowl four overs, while Bravo will bat in the middle order and bowl at the death. These two all-rounders have proven their worth time and time again in limited overs cricket, Watson in the Big Bash League recently and Bravo has been threatening in every T20 league around the world.

In addition to these two, Indian star Ravindra Jadeja will do a similar job to Bravo. Jadeja is lethal in the subcontinent and combines economical bowling with explosive batting - a very useful skill indeed. Between these three players alone, CSK have three very dangerous batsmen and twelve overs of bowling accounted for. This makes it clear just how useful they are and CSK will be able to pack their side full of batsmen as a result.

#1 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is one of cricket's greatest tactical minds

Every team needs a good leader. The Chennai Super Kings have one of India's greatest ever captains in MS Dhoni. Dhoni led Chennai to back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and took India to a fantastic World Cup win in 2011. He is without a doubt the most experienced captain in the competition.

The importance of having a good captain cannot be overstated, it is the captain who increases team chemistry and is responsible for all on-field tactics - from bowling changes to field placement. Dhoni is one of cricket's greatest tactical minds.

In addition to this, Dhoni's ability with the bat and with the gloves makes him a very attractive player. An explosive middle-order batsman, Dhoni is capable of taking the game away from the opposition in the space of a few overs.

Moreover, his glovework is unparalleled and he is one of the safest pair of hands in world cricket. Thus, with Dhoni leading this team of experienced international stars, it is hard to think of a side that can stop Chennai.