No CSK team will ever be complete without MS Dhoni, and for the same reason, the management decided to retain him as an uncapped player. While no can dispute that MSD is the greatest CSK player ever, but then, the team, at some point has to move on from the legend, and give an opportunity to other deserving players as well.
At the IPL Auction 2025, the team re-bought Kiwi Devon Conway, who is also a keeper-batter. And perhaps this might be the right time to give MS Dhoni the much-needed rest, and let Conway take the gloves. While the decision might not be very well-received by the ardent Chennai fans, but then, ‘why put pressure on Dhoni’, who had a knee surgery after the IPL 2023, and isn’t getting any younger at 43. With this, InsideSport takes a look at the strongest playing XI that the CSK can assemble, after the IPL Auction 2025.
CSK Strongest XI, With MS Dhoni as Impact Player
Position | Player |
1. | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
2. | Devon Conway ✈️(wk) |
3. | Rahul Tripathi |
4. | Vijay Shankar |
5. | Shivam Dube |
6. | Sam Curran ✈️ |
7. | Ravindra Jadeja |
8. | Ravichandran Ashwin |
9. | Noor Ahmad ✈️ |
10. | Khaleel Ahmed |
11. | Matheesha Pathirana ✈️ |
Impact Player | MS Dhoni (wk) |
CSK Full Squad After IPL Auction 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Devon Conway (Rs. 6.25 crore), Rahul Tripathi (Rs. 3.40 crore), Rachin Ravindra (Rs. 4 crore), R. Ashwin (Rs. 9.75 crore), Khaleel Ahmed (Rs. 4.80 crore), Noor Ahmad (Rs. 10 crore), Vijay Shankar (Rs. 1.20 crore), Sam Curran (Rs. 2.40 crore), Shaik Rasheed (Rs. 30 lakh), Anshul Kamboj (Rs. 3.40 crore), Mukesh Choudhary (Rs. 30 lakh), Deepak Hooda (Rs. 1.70 crore), Gurjapneet Singh (Rs. 2.20 crore), Nathan Ellis (Rs. 2 crore), Jamie Overton (Rs. 1.50 crore), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Rs. 30 lakh), Ramakrishna Ghosh (Rs. 30 lakh), Shreyas Gopal (Rs. 30 lakh), Vansh Bedi (Rs. 55 lakh), Andre Siddarth (Rs. 30 lakh).