- Chennai Super Kings (9.5/10)
Like Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings also returned in the IPL after completing their two-year suspension but they provided the dream performances and won the trophy at the end after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final of the tournament. Most importantly, CSK hardly lost their momentum as they finished at the second position in the points table with 18 points (9 victories).
Batting: Batting was the main strength for CSK. While Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, MS Dhoni showcased their consistency, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina played some important knocks when they were needed. Moreover, the team had the depth and flexibility in their batting line-up which played an important role in their tournament victory. The lower middle-order batsmen also performed well at the crucial stages.
Bowling: While the CSK opening bowlers were starting well and middle-over bowlers were providing good supports, the death-over bowling was creating pressures for themselves. But since Lungi Ngidi took the death-over bowling role, CSK got a huge sigh of relief as the South African pacer impressed hugely in this season despite missing many games. Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar also performed well while the other bowlers played the good supporting role.
