IPL 2023: How CSK’s return to Chepauk will impact Playing XI and team strategy

The return to home-and-away format should benefit the Super Kings, who have won 40 out of 56 matches played at their ‘fortress’ MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

A staggering win percentage of 71.42 at home is indicative of the fact that CSK knows its strengths and plays to them very effectively.  | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The return to home-and-away format should benefit the Super Kings, who have won 40 out of 56 matches played at their ‘fortress’ MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. A staggering win percentage of 71.42 at home is indicative of the fact that CSK knows its strengths and plays to them very effectively. Their squad is packed with high-quality, experienced, T20 spinners.

Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, and Moeen Ali are wily, accurate white-ball bowlers who are as capable of rattling opposition innings in the Powerplay as they are of strangling them through the middle overs. The even mix of left-handed (LH) and right-handed (RH) spinners is an intelligent way to construct a bowling line-up that can exploit matchups against an RH or LH-heavy batting order on a Chepauk wicket that has traditionally been a helpful deck for the spinners.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane’s selection, too, seems inspired by the return to Chennai. Rahane’s last T20I was back in 2016 and he had an average Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign for Mumbai, but his technique on slow and turning tracks makes him a valuable asset, especially as an Impact Player if there’s a collapse in low-scoring chases. CSK’s away matches are in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow and Delhi.

Ties and No Results have not been considered for below stats.

Average first-innings score at MA Chidambaram Stadium	162.6 (67 matches)
Average first-innings winning score at MA Chidambaram Stadium	173 (39 matches)
% Teams winning batting first at MA Chidambaram Stadium	58.20 (39 off 67 matches)
% Teams winning chasing at MA Chidambaram Stadium	38.80 (26 off 67 matches)
Average Powerplay score at MA Chidambaram Stadium	46.42
Average death overs (17-20) score at MA Chidambaram Stadium	35.60