Published: Mar 31, 2023, 05:18 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 31, 2023, 05:18 AM (IST)
New Delhi: The 2023 Indian Premier League is just a few hours away, and this year’s glitzy event will be very special for both the players and the fans. For the first time since 2019, the cash-rich league will return to its original home-and-away format.
One of the teams that enjoys a huge fan following around the country is MS Dhoni’s Chennai. After having a forgetful season last year, The Men in Yellow will be eager to make a superb comeback this year in front of Chennai supporters.
As it is rumoured that this will be MS Dhoni’s last season as a player, Chennai will look forward to giving their best. The team let go of players like Dwayne Bravo, Robin Uthappa and Chris Jordan while roping in England Test captain Ben Stokes, who is seen as a potential captain for the franchise.
The team will miss the services of Sisanda Magala, Matheesha Pathirana, and Maheesh Theekshana for this opening game. Also, Mukesh Singh has been ruled out of the tournament, with the team naming Aakash Singh as replacement.
As for Chennai’s playing 11, Ruturaj Gaikwad will open along with Devon Conway, followed by Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni. Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Pretorious will be the two all-rounders along with Moeen Ali and Shuvam Dube. Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande will be the new ball pair for Chennai.
Playing XIs: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwaine Pretorius, Shivam Dube, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande
BENCH : Ajinkya Rahane, SP Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner, Bhagath Varma, Simi Singh RS Hangargekar, AJ Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Prashant Solanki, M Theekshana, SSB Magala
