Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has picked the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) probable playing XI for IPL 2025. He added both Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra in the top order, saying that the franchise might not need Noor Ahmad’s services at the start of the tournament as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “What could be their XI? You can start with Devon Conway alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, a left-right combination. You can play Rachin at No. 3. If you play both Conway and Rachin, you won’t be able to play Noor (Ahmad), which you can manage with at the start. So play Rachin Ravindra at No. 3. Give a chance to Rahul Tripathi at No. 4. Keep Shivam Dube at No. 5 and Sam Curran at No. 6. He is a mighty player and will do well for this franchise. If you keep Sam Curran at No. 6, Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, and MS Dhoni at No. 8, or else you can keep six to eight as floating.”
“If Ravichandran Ashwin is coming at No. 9 in your team, you have the license to go hell for leather from ball one. Then Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana. That makes it your XI. If you get to bowl first, you can add either Shreyas Gopal or Mukesh Choudhary in the XI. They also have two very good Indian batting options in Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar,” Chopra again shared.
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However, Aakash Chopra also picked Ruturaj Gaikwad and Matheesha Pathirana as the Chennai Super Kings’ likely highest run-scorer and wicket-taker, respectively, in IPL 2025 as well.
“Who will score the most runs? I do feel that Ruturaj Gaikwad will have the most runs. He will open, is a good player, and will score runs. Matheesha Pathirana to take the most number of wickets. He bowls at the death and if the dew doesn’t come or he manages the dew somehow, Matheesha Pathirana could have a great impact on the tournament. Where will this team reach? They should qualify. I think the time is returning when both Mumbai and Chennai qualify because they have those kind of teams. I was feeling earlier that they (CSK) are not a very solid side, but the moment I deep-dived a little, it’s looking like a decent team,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
Aakash Chopra’s probable CSK playing XI for IPL 2025:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
