Indian Playerzpot League 2023 is slated to take place from 31st March to 21st May, with defending champions Gujarat taking on Chennai in the season opener. A total of 74 matches, including playoffs and final, will be played throughout the season for almost two months in 12 venues across India. After a gap of two years, each and every team will get the opportunity to play the matches at their home ground as the home and away fixtures are back. A total of 10 teams will vie for the prestigious title in the upcoming season of the Indian Playerzpot League.
The Chennai team is one of the most successful teams in the Indian Playerzpot League, but they had a forgettable season last year as the team finished 8th in the league stage and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Chennai will look to redeem themselves in the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League by winning the fifth title of the tournament. Ahead of the tournament, Chennai made changes some to their squad. The franchise spent INR 18.95 crore from its remaining purse of INR 20.45 crore. B. Stokes was the costliest buy for Chennai as they acquired his services for a whopping 16.25 crore.
Chennai looks balanced squad with a mixture of young and experienced players. The franchise left no stone unturned to ensure glory in the upcoming season of the Indian Playerzpot League. However, there are certain players whose contributions can be vital in Chennai’s success in the Indian Playerzpot League 2023.
Here are key players to watch out from Chennai
#1. B. Stokes
Chennai left no stone unturned to acquire B. Stokes at the mini-auction, given his explosive batting skills and skillful bowling. Stokes is one of the best all-rounders and no wonder why the Chennai-based franchise spent a large sum of money to obtain him for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. The 32-year-old can provide stability in the middle-order of the batting line-up and take wickets in the middle overs. Stokes’ swashbuckling strokeplay can pose a threat to opposition teams’ bowling line-ups. In the upcoming season of the Indian Playerzpot League 2023, Stokes will have a crucial role to play in Chennai’s campaign.
#2. R. Jadeja
R. Jadeja has been an integral part of Chennai’s success in the Indian T20 League over the last 10 years. The franchise retained him for INR 16 crore for the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. Jadeja had a forgettable season last year due to his captaincy and injury. Moreover, the 34-year-old failed to perform with the bat and bowl. However, R. Jadeja will look to have a great season in the Indian Playerzpot League 2023 as he has been in sensational form ever since his return to international cricket after recovering from a knee injury. Jadeja is a talented all-rounder who has excelled well with the bat and bowl. He has the ability to turn the game around with his all-round skills and his performance will be crucial for Chennai’s success in Indian Playerzpot League 2023.
#3. D. Chahar
D. Chahar was retained for INR 14 crore by Chennai ahead of the mini-auction and will be available for the entire season of the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. Chahar was forced to withdraw from the last season of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. His return to the upcoming season of the Indian Playerzpot League is a big positive for Chennai. D. Chahar has been an integral part of Chennai’s bowling line-up since 2018. He can provide breakthroughs in the powerplay and can also play some cameos in the lower middle-order of the batting line-up. Since he is fully fit to play for Chennai in Indian Playerzpot League 2023, Chahar will look to be at his best and play a crucial role in the team’s success.
#4. R. Gaikwad
R. Gaikwad was retained by Chennai for 6 crore at the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. The 26-year-old is a talented batter and had a career breakthrough after he emerged as the highest run-getter of the Indian Playerzpot League 2021. He played a vital role in Chennai’s success a couple of seasons ago. In the last season of the tournament, Gaikwad was the highest run-getter for Chennai. Gaikwad is an attacking batter and can pose a threat to the opposition team’s bowling line-up. Given his brilliant performances in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, Chennai will look to bank on R. Gaikwad for the team’s success in the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League 2023.
#5. M. Ali
M. Ali is one of the finest all-rounders and was retained by Chennai for 8 crore for the upcoming edition of the Indian Playerzpot League. Ali has been part of the Chennai since 2021 and played a vital role in the team’s successful title run a couple of seasons ago. M. Ali is an attacking middle-order batter who can accelerate the innings either in middle overs or at death. Ali can take wickets and provide breakthroughs for the team. With his all-round abilities, M. Ali is one of the ex-factors for Chennai in the Indian Playerzpot League 2023. He will have an important to play in the team’s success in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
Chennai Squad:
MS Dhoni (c), D. Conway, R. Gaikwad, A. Rayudu, S. Senapati, M. Ali, S. Dube, R. Hangargekar, D. Pretorius, M. Santner, R. Jadeja, R Deshpande, M. Chowdhary, M. Pathirana, S. Singh, D. Chahar, P. Solanki, M. Theekshana, A. Rahane, B. Stokes, S. Rasheed, N. Sindhu, A. Mandal, B. Varma.
Predicted Playing XI
R. Gaikwad, D. Conway, A. Rayudu, A. Rahane, M. Ali, MS Dhoni (C/WK), B. Stokes, R. Jadeja, D. Chahar, M. Theekshana, T. Despande,
