IPL 2019: Do Chennai Super Kings have the team to defend their title this season?

Batsmen

Suresh Raina

CSK have a formidable set of batsmen who can take the game away from the opposition in a jiffy. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu had a very successful opening combination last year, and would hope to continue that in 2019.

They also have Faf Du Plessis, the South African skipper who is an international star. And Suresh Raina has been the perennial number three for CSK right from 2008.

They have Sam Billings, Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and the all-weather finisher Dhoni in the middle order.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is an unknown entity, but going by his numbers in List A cricket, it seems CSK have unearthed another IPL star.

CSK have a strong batting line-up, but since some of them don't play international cricket regularly, it would be an interesting scenario to see how they'll perform as a unit.

All-rounders

Dwayne Bravo

CSK have an army of great all-rounders. When you think of a quality all-rounder in T20 cricket, it would be hard to think beyond Shane Watson, who has been one of the top all-rounders in the modern era.

Then there is Dwayne Bravo, the "Champion" dancer who throws his bat during the death overs and bowls economical spells and ekes out a few wickets. If you add his electrifying fielding into the mix, he is a complete package.

CSK also have Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Mitchell Santner, David Willey and Suresh Raina, who can all bowl a few good overs and tonk a few sixes with the bat.

These guys provide great balance to the side and make CSK bat very deep, which has been one of the secrets to their success over the years.