IPL 2015 - Chennai Super Kings' ideal playing XI

Chennai Super Kings are arguably the most hated and the most loved team in the IPL. They are also the most successful one as they have won the tournament twice and have made it to the finals on three other occasions. Led by Indian skipper MS Dhoni, the franchise has always looked to maintain the balance of the side by retaining the core group of players.They have made some interesting acquisitions though in this year's auction and keeping that in mind, we present to you their ideal playing XI for the 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League:

#1 Brendon McCullum

Needs no introduction! And with the kind of form he has been in recently, McCullum should without a doubt be CSK’s first-choice opening batsman. They bought him last year and he has helped them put up a solid opening stand in most of the matches.

Even at the age of 33, he brings a lot to the side on the field with his athletic abilities. But they will be missing him during the latter stages of the tournament since he will leading New Zealand in a Test series against England. But they have got Michael Hussey back, so there is your cover!

Back-up – Michael Hussey

#2 Dwayne Smith

Had a very poor World Cup, but one can expect him to be at his best in the shortest format of the game in much more batting friendlier conditions. He constantly gave CSK some explosive starts last season and the team management will be expecting more of the same this time around.

With 566 runs (5 fifties) at a strike rate of 136, he finished second just behind Robin Uthappa last year.

#3 Suresh Raina

The ever reliable Suresh Raina should be easily slotted in at number 3. That’s where he has played most of his Cricket for the Chennai based franchise (for whom he has been playing ever since the beginning).

He is the only player to have scored over 400 runs in every single edition of the IPL. Last season, he made 523 runs at an average of 40. His off-spin has also been proved to be useful at times for his skipper.

Back-up – Baba Aparajith

#4 Faf du Plessis

Ideally Faf would love to bat in the top 3 in this format, but the presence of an explosive trio should naturally push him down to number 4. He can be aggressive and can also have a calm presence in the middle in case CSK lose two early wickets.

But in case the team is looking for an Indian middle-order batsman in order to bolster their seam bowling options, then they can either opt for the young Baba Aparajith or the experienced Mithun Manhas.

Back-up – Mithun Manhas

#5 MS Dhoni

The skipper MS Dhoni needs to bat at number 5 in order to have an impact on the game with the bat where he is at his destructive best in this format. He cannot leave it too late by batting at 6 or 7.

And if the team gets off to a great start then he must consider coming ahead of Faf in the batting order. And in case of an unlikely injury, then let’s face it, no one can literally replace this man. They can either have Brendon taking care of the Wicket-keeping duties or can have the relatively unknown Eklavya Dwivedi behind the stumps.

Back-up – Eklavya Dwivedi, Ankush Bains

#6 Dwayne Bravo

Perhaps the most important player in CSK’s bowling line-up is Dwayne Bravo. On most of the occasions, he will be the only overseas bowler operating for the team. Last year they suffered a setback very early in the season due to an injury to Bravo, and this time they would be hoping that he remains fit throughout the campaign.

He generally operates in the death overs stopping the momentum by picking up wickets regularly using his variations.

#7 Ravindra Jadeja

After a dull World Cup, Jadeja returns to familiar territory. And that’s exactly why you should never count him out. CSK spent a fortune on this man because he offers a lot with both bat and ball, but on most occasions they would need him to deliver with the ball.

He was a little expensive last season but also managed to pick up 19 wickets in the tournament including two 4 wicket hauls.

Back-up – Pawan Negi

#8 Irfan Pathan

Yes, he had a very dull tournament last time around when he turned up for the SunRisers Hyderabad, and he has just made a comeback from an injury. But his reputation cannot be ignored and hence he is the ideal number 8 for CSK. He is still very good with the bat and if he can find the swing that made him very famous some years ago, he can be very handful.

Also personally, this will be a very important tournament for him if he aspires to make a comeback to the national team soon.

Back-up – Ashish Nehra

#9 Ravichandran Ashwin

Without a doubt, he is Dhoni’s trumpcard. And after a great show at the World Cup, his confidence will be at an all-time high. He was successful last season with an economy of 7.5 in 16 matches.

He will be expected to form a potent spin partnership with Jadeja and might also be required to bowl one or two tidy overs at the death. They also have a back-up spinner in the form of Rahul Sharma who bowls decent leg spin. But unless the pitch is a rank turner, don't expect MSD to tinker with his combination in order to play 3 spinners. That also rules out Samuel Badree’s chances of playing a lot of games.

Back-up – Rahul Sharma

#10 Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma will be playing for the Chennai Super Kings for the 3rd successive season and in this period, he has evolved a lot and has even found a regular spot in the national side.

He first came in as a specialist new ball swing bowler, but is now more specialised while bowling at the death since batsmen have found his slower deliveries tough to pick as he bowls them from the back of his hand. He will be very vital to this bowling attack which is known to leak a lot of runs especially in the slog overs.

Back-up – Andrew Tye, Kyle Abbott and Matt Henry

#11 Ishwar Pandey

If you were wondering about the uncapped player, then here he is finally nailing down the last spot in the line-up. One of the most promising young bowlers in the Indian domestic circuit, Ishwar Pandey in the few matches that he has played for CSK has showed what he is made of.

He can form an ideal new ball partnership with Irfan Pathan and bowl in those powerplay overs. He gets a little bit of movement on both sides but more importantly generates good bounce despite not being so pacy.

And like mentioned already, CSK can also try out the in-form Kyle Abbott in place of him, but in order to do that, they will have to slot in an uncapped Indian batsman presumably in the middle order.

Back-up – Kyle Abbott, Matt Henry and Andrew Tye