IPL 2025 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Best Playing 11 without Ruturaj Gaikwad
MS Dhoni to lead the team in our best playing 11 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 without Ruturaj Gaikwad.
It’s been only a few weeks in the Indian Premier League, but nothing has gone right for the Men in Yellow, the Chennai Super Kings. After kicking-off the tournament with a bang against the Mumbai Indians, CSK have only been at the receiving end since then. They have lost five matches in a row after that, including three matches at home, and their Captain and leader, Ruturaj Gaikwad, has been ruled out of the tournament due to an elbow injury.
What worse can happen to a team that is already low on confidence, and whose experienced players are struggling for runs and wickets? It’s not like CSK built an amateur squad in the Auction. CSK management has one of the smartest brains in the competition, and given their focus on adding experienced players in the squad, they added the players of their choice. The fact that they didn’t overspend on any of their players in the Auction shows they got the players they wanted.
But the fact of the matter is that nothing has been working for them currently, and it feels like a deja vu of the IPL 2020 season where suddenly things started going haywire for them after their successful 2019 campaign. CSK does have a solid team, and the silver lining is the return of their most-celebrated leader, MS Dhoni as the Captain. All is not lost for the Chennai Super Kings, and they can still come out of their dire state. They still have 8 more matches left, and if they can rework their playing 11, they can regain the lost ground comfortably.
IPL 2025 Official Squad List for Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Batters: Andre Siddharth, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shaik Rasheed
WKs: Devon Conway (o), MS Dhoni & Vansh Bedi
All-rounders: Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton (o), Rachin Ravindra (o), Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran (o), Shivam Dube & Vijay Shankar
Bowlers: Gurjapneet Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana (o), Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis (o), Noor Ahmad (o) & Shreyas Gopal
IPL 2025 CSK Best Playing 11 – No Ruturaj Gaikwad
It is no secret that Chennai Super Kings need a few young blood in the batting department, and two places where they can actually be accommodated are in place of Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar. Both Tripathi and Shankar are currently not a fit in this CSK’s batting lineup. While Tripathi’s presence at the crease has looked a struggle in all the matches so far, Shankar plays traditional cricket, and that may not work on flat pitches where CSK are struggling a lot.
So, a change in batting-order, and a change in a few arsenal is the need of the hour for the Chennai Super Kings. CSK does have players that can fit the bill currently, but of course, there will be a trade-off in terms of experience. While CSK have players who can replace these two players, they don’t have much experience with them. This can be a double-edged sword, and CSK management will have to be patient with them while expecting a good performance.
From the young bunch of players that CSK have in their squad, they can look at the likes of Shaikh Rashkeed, Vansh Bedi, and Andre Siddharth. All three are fresh players, and are yet to make an IPL debut. While CSK rarely includes inexperienced batters in their playing 11, there is no harm in trying them as the experienced ones are struggling for runs themselves. So, from these three, CSK can play Shaik Rasheed at 3, and Andre Siddharth as the finisher at 5 or 6.
CSK Batting-order
The opening should continue as is, with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway as the best two choices. Both players have done well in the IPL, and can play according to the situation. However, Rachin can be more attacking in his approach as he usually is, and Conway can play according to the situation. With Shaik Rasheed at 3, he can be given that freehand to go there and play his shots freely.
For number 4, Shivam Dube should be fixed for this position as he can come after powerplay, and can tackle the spinners accordingly. For numbers 5 to 7, CSK can be flexible. If quick runs are needed, CSK can promote a young Andre Siddharth to express his game freely. But if CSK need a batter to spend some time in the middle, then Ravindra Jadeja can be their go-to man. Whatever the situation, CSK can manage this based on the team’s needs.
While batting sees these changes, bowling, for now, doesn’t need change. CSK are doing well in the bowling department, and the likes of Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed are already among the wickets. Aside from these two, Matheesha Pathirana, Ravindra Jadeja, young Anshul Kamboj, and Ravichandran Ashwin are more than a helping hand. It’s still a good bowling lineup that can be used in all phases of the match.
IPL 2025 Best Playing 11 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Without Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Devon Conway
- Rachin Ravindra
- Shaik Rasheed
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Andre Siddarth
- MS Dhoni (wk)
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Noor Ahmad
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Khaleel Ahmed
Best Impact Player: Anshul Kamboj
So, that’s about the best playing 11 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) without Ruturaj Gaikwad for IPL 2025. Sure, this isn’t the most belligerent batting lineup like SRH have, but if CSK can instill the confidence in their players as they usually do, the second-half of the tournament will be interesting with a hope of CSK making a comeback. With MS Dhoni at the helm, expect CSK to perform better, if not qualify for the Playoffs.
Thanks for reading! What’s your best playing 11 for CSK for IPL 2025? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com
Adesh Kothari is the founder of AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics with over 20 years of experience following Cricket.
Cricket to him is like what Football is to Lionel Messi, Singing is to Lata Mangeshkar, Dancing is to Michael Jackson, and Acting is to Clint Eastwood.
Besides his effervescent love for Cricket, Adesh is an MBA by qualification.
